Icefire's Story
by Excalibur13
Summary: My 1st FanFic. Please read! Since I briefly mentioned a few characters from another Misc. book I wrote, I put it as Crossover for Misc. Books and Misc. Anime. they wouldn't let me have Misc. books for both categories, so don't be confused.
1. The Sign through The Escape

Icefire's Story

Icefire- young girl with blonde hair, one ice blue eye, and one dark blue eye

Snowburner- young boy with dark blonde hair and deep blue eyes

Nebelung- young girl with silvery blue-gray hair and green eyes

Echo- young girl with black hair and dark purple eyes; blind

Falcon- young girl with black and purple hair and red eyes

Wolfheart- young female cat-person with thick gray fur/hair and bright blue eyes

Tigerflame- young male cat-person with dark brown tabby fur/hair and amber eyes

Bramblestorm- young male cat-person with dark brown tabby fur/hair and amber eyes

Silver- young girl with silvery blonde hair and azure eyes

Nightsky- young girl with light blonde hair and icy blue eyes

Azalea- young girl with white hair and bright green eyes

Pyro- young girl with black hair and light blue eyes

Sotako- young boy with black hair and dark eyes

Prologue

The Sign

Three figures stood on the crest of the hill, as though waiting. Dusk came and went, night spreading tiny stars across the indigo sky. The figures did not move a muscle, instead staring at the flecks of light in the crystal-clear sky.

A dog barked in the distance, but only the male on the end twitched his ears in acknowledgement of what he just heard. His twin brother stood on the other side of the girl that stood in between them. He dared to break the silence.

"Why are we here, again?" he asked.

"I told you, I don't know." The female told her companion, flicking her gray tail. For these were not human in many features, other than skeletal structure. Thick gray fur covered the female's entire body, long gray hair fell loosely over her shoulders, and a pair of blue cat-eyes was set one on each side of her furry face. Two, pointed, cat-ears resting on the top of her head, a gray tail, and retractable claws on her hands and feet completed her feline appearance. Her two male companions were the same in their cat-like features, except they had dark brown tabby fur, short, shaggy black hair, and amber-colored eyes.

A breeze sprang up, ruffling the creatures' fur as they stood on the hill. There was something on the wind that made them prick their ears in interest.

"Do you guys sense that?" the male that had heard the dog asked, his voice coming out in his species' natural feline sound.

"Yes. I fear an evil is coming." The female meowed, taking a deep breath. She smelled it, tasted it, felt it, and sensed it, all at the same time. It was on the breeze, in the atmosphere, all around them, whispering….calling.

"Something is coming." The second tom agreed ominously, gazing across the meadow at the foot of the hill. At that moment, something dark passed in front of the moon, startling the creatures.

"We must get word to the others!" the female hissed and she fled, her friends following her into the forest.

Chapter 1

The Mission

"You're making progress, little one." The Headmaster rested his ever-calm gaze on the young student. Icefire beamed as her opponent picked himself up off the arena floor. He was quite a bit older than she was and therefore difficult to beat. Nevertheless, she did it; she defeated a 16-year-old student! The Headmaster believed that at the age of 13, she was capable of beating an older kid, like Zailon.

Icefire turned back to her defeated adversary, who was brushing the dust off his pants. They bowed to each other as a sign of respect and Zailon exited the arena. She faced The Headmaster once more, staring at him expectantly.

"Okay, okay." He chuckled, giving in, "Since you have trained so hard and been so patient, I will assign you a mission for tomorrow."

Icefire stood straight up, happiness welling inside her. The Headmaster trusted her enough to send her on a real mission! It would be very different from the training simulations.

"However," The Headmaster went on, "since this is your first time out I the galaxy, I will assign you an experienced partner."

She felt her shoulders sag a little. Why couldn't her first mission be alone? Without any one else?

"Who?" she hardly dared to ask.

"You'll know tomorrow." He replied, as if thinking.

"Okay."

The Headmaster stiffened. "Dismissed."

"Thank you." She bowed before exiting through a side panel.

The next morning, after she ate breakfast, The Headmaster called Icefire to his office. When she arrived, The Headmaster was seated at his desk with Sotako facing him. The black-haired boy twisted around in his chair to get a good look at her.

"This is the squirt I'm supposed to keep an eye on this mission?" he criticized, looking at her with a gaze of cold steel.

She glared back and pictured daggers piercing his chest, ripping his flesh. She blinked and the vision was gone. This jerk was going to assist her!

"She is a good student; very strong. Last afternoon she defeated Zailon." The Headmaster told him.

Sotako raised his brow, inspecting Icefire with new interest. She held her head high, allowing him to look her over.

"Well then," he began quietly, "I guess…." He straightened, "When do we leave?"

"As soon as you both are ready." The Headmaster informed them.

Bowing her head respectfully, Icefire left, Sotako not far behind. She entered her room and packed her things in a small bag: her knife, plasma gun, some matches, a small supply of bread and dried meat, and a good-sized chain.

As she headed to the ship's dock, she went over her training. This was what she was trained to do! All her life, The Headmaster had told her that the galaxy was full of evil, so he started raising kids to help destroy the hate and bad things in the universe. She had heard the stories of victory from the older kids: the death of some governor from Saturn or the silent escape after killing a warlord. Today she would claim her own victory! She would destroy the evil on Earth and it will be pure.

She reached the dock and met up with a fully equipped Sotako, who was waiting outside the ship that they were taking to Earth.

"Are you ready, kid?" he asked.

"Yeah, I'm ready." She retorted, "And don't call me kid. I don't like it." Before he could reply, Icefire slid past him and headed up the ramp.

The sound of Sotako's footsteps echoing behind her told her that he was following. Once they boarded, he closed the door and slammed down on the dispatch button. A recorded female voice confirmed the detachment of the pod, sending it shooting toward the planet's atmosphere. Sotako sat at the control panel, typing while Icefire stared out the capsule window. She gazed at the Earth and the moon; at the surrounding stars and pitch-black space. Then everything turned flaming red as the mini-ship sped out of orbit. As the outside cleared up, she saw trees, buildings, a blue sky, fluffy clouds, and green hills and a mountain.

A frustrated ugh made her spin around to Sotako, "The controls are going haywire on me! I can't control the ship!"

Icefire glanced out the window and noticed a bright glint, like sunlight reflecting off metal. She looked closer and realized that there were five jets headed their way.

"That's not our only problem." She said.

Sotako followed her gaze, his eyes widening. "They must be jamming the signal."

Suddenly, the pod rocked wildly, sending them to the back wall. Icefire hit the wall hard, slamming her head and dulling her senses. Her faded in and out, as she staggered to the other side of the capsule behind Sotako. The jets had open fired!

"We're hit!" Sotako yelled over the emergency alarm. "We're going to crash! Hang on to something!"

Icefire grabbed onto a loose wire and squeezed under the control panel, closing her eyes tightly. She felt the ship descending quickly and, suddenly, it jerked, tossing her and her partner up. She opened her eyes to a world of smoke and sparks. Coughing, she tried to see through the thick gray clouds filled the ship.

"Sotako!" she called out, hoping he could hear her. "Where are you?"

Butterflies fluttered in her stomach and ice cold sweat ran down her forehead as she thought of the worst.

"Sotako!" she shouted again; she was about to give up when she heard something shift. She knew it was her companion when she picked up a fit of coughing. She ran to him and helped him stand.

He coughed again. "Thanks. I can stand."

She left his side to crawl over to the window. Staring out through a thin layer of smoke, she saw humans clustering around the ship with curious faces. Other people in blue-black uniforms kept them at a distance, while more blue-suited men approached the pod cautiously.

"What do you think is in there?" one asked his companion.

"I don't know, but I heard something move around."

A cone-shaped sound amplifier sounded, "Come out with your hands in the air. Do not try to run; we have you surrounded."

Fear chewed away at her stomach. "What are we going to do?"

Sotako's gaze hardened. "We'll have to fight. We have a job to do and we're going to do it." He turned and vanished into the smoke, leaving her no choice but to follow. She walked through the choking gray fog, bumping into Sotako, who was standing in the midst of a wary crowd. Even with the element of water at his fingertips, he chose to pull out his plasma gun.

"Stay back!" he shouted, pointing the gun at a human in blue-black uniform. At once, every uniformed man pulled out a gun.

Icefire allowed an ice shield to form instinctively on her arm. For she, too, could summon water to do her bidding.

Sotako suddenly grabbed the shirt of female teenager and kept her in front him. She screamed in fright as he placed the cold tip of his plasma gun to her neck.

"I'll shoot her if you don't let me and my friend go." He threatened.

When Icefire heard a gun load, she turned and held up her ice shield, deflecting the bullets that were being shot from behind. The commanding human ordered them to stop and the pelting metal rain ceased.

"Let's them pass!" the man shouted regretfully and crowd opened up to allow them through.

"I thank you." Sotako kept the teenager in front of him, Icefire behind him, until they had cleared the humans. She noticed that he had a smoke bomb in his hand; she what to do when he dropped it.

He threw it down on the ground, making the teenage girl to scream, and Icefire took his, turning them both to mist and leaving the girl behind with a bunch of confused people.

Chapter 2

The Escape

The next thing she knew, Icefire and Sotako were standing in a forest, surrounded by trees. Sunlight dappled the leaf-covered floor, creating an enchanting, dream-like appearance.

"Well," Sotako began, "Things can only go up from here."

"In case you haven't noticed, we're lost in the middle of a forest and who-knows-where it is!" she hissed.

"I'm sure we'll be able to find our way out before night comes."

That night, they slept in the woods. Sotako had been wrong and, to make matters worse, it had started raining. Icefire was fully annoyed with him; she hated it when he was right, but she hated it even more when he was wrong.

"This is all your fault." She accused.

"My fault! How is this my fault?" he retorted.

"If you hadn't taken the lead, we would probably be finished the mission by now. It's your fault that we're stuck out here in the rain."

"Just go to sleep."

She leaned against a mossy tree trunk and shut her eyes. Sleep overcame her like a black wave.

For the next two days, they traveled through the forest, lost. Icefire grew increasingly irritated with Sotako, who only got them even more lost.

"Are you sure you know where you're going?" she pestered. "We're supposed to kill this governor and purify this city, not wander around its woodland."

"I know where I'm going." He said angrily.

Icefire snorted, but kept quiet. Then she heard it; a tree branch snapped. She spun around, looking for their pursuer. She couldn't see anyone, so she kept going. Something rustled behind them, making her turn again. This time she caught a glimpse of shadow before it disappeared behind a tree.

"Sotako," she called, feeling sick with fear.

"What!" he snapped, turning around. He saw how pale she was and instantly regretted yelling. He hurried to her side and inspected her with concern in his dark eyes.

"There's something in the behind us." She whispered. "It's following us."

"Where? I don't see anything."

"Over there." Icefire pointed to the tree that she saw the shadow disappear behind. "It's on the other side."

Sotako walked over to the tree and looked behind its thick trunk.

"There's nothing there." He reported as he returned.

Odd, Icefire would've sworn she'd seen someone lurking in the woods. Sotako took the lead again and she was about to follow him when she saw something shift to her left, making a bush shake. Sotako spun around at that and stared suspiciously into the forest.

"I think I believe you now." He declared, still warily searching the woodland.

"Finally." She muttered, bracing herself for whatever was out there.

"What do you think it is?" he asked.

The cluster of ferns in front of her shook. "I don't know, but I think it's coming closer." She responded as another fern trembled violently. She shifted backward, keeping an eye over her shoulder. They were backed into a small clearing.

Two trees rustled, one on either side of the clearing. Icefire glanced around the open area, pressing her back against Sotako's. More bushes shook, a tree branch bent, making the leaves rustle. It seemed like they were surrounded. Then she heard a faint whisper, as though someone was talking. She strained to hear what it was saying and managed to pick up parts of the conversation.

"I know who….it is my…I thought he…."

"Are you sure…he doesn't look….and who's with him? I'll…..you go."

What did that mean? Movement at the corner of her vision distracted her from the hushed voices. At that moment, something burst out of the bushes behind her and tackled Sotako, making him fall and Icefire spin around, but whatever it was, it was gone before she could get a good look at it. Something knocked a stone into the clearing, but before she could move, the culprit grabbed her from behind and slammed her into a tree. She felt the breath exit her lungs and she strained to inhale, but the weight pressed against her chest made it almost impossible. With her eyes closed she couldn't see her attacker. Suddenly, the weight vanished and she could breath again; she opened her eyes and saw Sotako wrestling with a young blonde-haired boy. The stranger was about as old as Icefire and had the disadvantage, but he still put up a good fight. Currently, Sotako had him pinned on his back, but he kicked out and unbalanced him. Now the blonder-haired kid was on top, but not for long. Sotako threw him off quickly and, as the blonde-headed boy picked himself up, slammed him against a tree. The kid struggled until Sotako pushed him hard into the trunk. Then he let his muscles relax and go limp, closing his eyes and lowering his head, panting heavily.

"All right, talk." Sotako demanded, "Who are you?"

The boy did not answer, but it was visible that he was nervous.

How could he hope to defeat two people? Icefire thought, coming up behind her partner.

"Answer me!" Sotako ordered shaking the boy's shoulders hard. The kid opened his deep blue eyes, but refused to look his captor in the eyes.

"Who are you?" Sotako repeated slowly.

Still breathing hard, the boy raised his head, staring at the two of them with shifty and almost frightened eyes.

"I know he can talk." Icefire said, "I heard him with some other person."

Now the boy looked terrified, and she knew Sotako saw.

"So, is your little friend here, too?"

"No." the blonde-haired boy spoke for the first time. "She fled."

"Ah yes," he said, "You sent her to safety, right?"

"That's right." The boy replied defiantly, lifting his chin.

"And what might your name be?"

"I shouldn't tell you. But who are you?"

"That's classified." Sotako told him warningly.

"It's okay." He seemed indifferent. "I already know who you are. Your Sotako, aren't you."

"How do you know that?" Icefire asked, stepping back. Her companion followed her lead, releasing his prisoner. The boy lurched forward but stopped himself from falling. He rubbed the tendons at the base of his neck.

"How do you know who I am?" Sotako demanded.

"I know people." The boy said simply. Sotako attacked the kid, sending him to the ground, where he pinned him down.

"How do you know me?" he shouted, hands to the boy's neck.

The kid gave up. "Your sister. Your sister told me."

Sotako backed away, a stunned look on his face. "My sister is dead."

The boy staggered to his feet, gasping. "She is as alive as you are. She grew up with a group of other kids. She was the one I sent to safety."

"She was here?" he glanced around the clearing. Icefire stood in shock; Sotako had a sister!

"And she still is." A new voice sounded behind them, making everyone spin around. A young girl with long white hair and flaming green eyes walked up. Her hair was pulled back in a low-lying ponytail with long bangs flowing down the side of her head.

Sotako stared at her in disbelief. "Azalea."


	2. The Guardians

Chapter 3

The Guardians

"B-but….." Sotako struggled to get the word out, "Y-you died ten years ago, in the explosion."

"I almost did." Azalea corrected. "If someone hadn't found me and taken me back to The Guardians' Home."

"Huh?" everyone turned to stare at Icefire as she spoke; she looked back, confused.

"I agree." Sotako said, returning his gaze to his long-lost sister.

The white-haired girl smiled. "Maybe it would be best if I showed you, instead." She suggested.  
"I don't think that's a good idea." The boy said. Icefire turned to look at his uneasy eyes.

"Why not? He's my brother."  
"No one can go to The Guardians Home except those who live there." He told her.  
"Lighten up." Azalea retorted laughingly, grabbing the blonde-haired boy's arm. As she led him away, she told Sotako to follow them. Icefire ran after her partner as he followed his sister through the forest. Azalea ducked under limbs, jumped over brambles, and crawled around boulders. All the while, the boy kept a watchful eye on the surroundings, and every time he seemed to hear something, he would jerk around and stare into the undergrowth. After some time traveling, Azalea finally stopped in a large meadow blanketed with green grass. Icefire stood speechlessly as her eyes found a gigantic oak tree stood on the far side of the clearing, with a fat trunk and thick branches. The tree looked huge even from the other end of the field. Two more oak trees, slightly smaller, acted like guards, standing one on either side of the largest oak. A few shady trees dotted the meadow and boulders sat in random places as well, providing unlimited hiding places. A large lake lay at the left of the meadow, right next to a mountain. The boy let out a wolf-like howl, which was quickly answered by three new voices. A lone figure stepped out from behind a boulder, leaping onto the big rock to confirm the call. He howled back and the figure shot across the clearing at such great speed that Sotako stepped back out of wariness. However, Azalea and the boy stood calmly until the person reached them. The figure turned out to be a young girl with short, light blonde hair and ice-colored blue eyes. She wore a black tee with long silver sleeves and green camouflage cargo pants, cut off at the knees in order to make shorts.  
"Nightsky." The boy greeted.  
"Snowburner." The girl nodded.  
"Anyone else here?" he asked.  
"Yes. Pyro and Echo." She reported.

"And the others?"  
"Their out foraging for dinner." She told him. "They should be back soon, though."

Icefire suddenly noticed that sundown was approaching.  
"Good. I hope they bring some extra home. We have guests." Snowburner stepped aside to show her Icefire and Sotako. Nightsky eyed them warily. She turned questioningly to the blonde-haired boy.  
"It wasn't my idea." He muttered as he passed her. She nodded, staring knowingly at Azalea.  
"What?" the white-haired girl said, wide-eyed with innocence.  
"You know what we agreed on: no outsiders." Nightsky told her, irritably.  
"But this is my brother."  
The icy-blue-eyed girl eyed Sotako with guarded curiosity.  
"It's nice to meet you." He said. "I hope-" whatever he was going to say was cut off by a wolf-like howl from behind Icefire. She and her partner spun around to see three kids coming toward them. All were female; each carrying a leather sack that looked like it was going to burst into a hundred pieces. The girl on the far left had silvery blue-gray hair and, as they got closer, Icefire noticed a pair of deep green eyes. She wore only leaves for clothes, stomach exposed, and had leaves strapped to her upper arms and just above her kneecaps. The one in the middle had black hair with dark purple streaks in it; she had glowing red eyes and wore a tight black shirt, loose black Capri's, and black boots. A black, hooded cape completed the outfit. The last kid, on the far right, had loose silvery blonde hair and azure blue eyes. She had a short-tailed camouflage shirt, short tan shorts, and dark gray combat boots.

The bluish-gray-haired girl imitated a wolf and howled challengingly at Icefire and Sotako. She stared nervously at the approaching group and as they neared, the girl in the camouflage shirt let out a low growl. Sotako stared her through narrowed eyes. The girl handed her bag to her companion and squared up to the black-haired boy.  
Nightsky pushed in between the two. "Silver, stop. These are our guests."

Icefire turned and stared across the clearing in wonder. The meadow was amazing, with plenty of protection and shade and shelter. As she stared, Azalea came up behind her and led her toward the giant oak, Sotako trailing behind.  
"Come on. I want to show you guys The Guardians' Home. You can see it better from HomeOak." She leaped onto the lowest branch and climbed steadily higher, on the low-hanging boughs. Icefire and Sotako followed her to the middle of the tree. She looked around; wooden planks formed a floor and thick branches grew into a sort of wall with large gaps that acted like windows. Branches grew up between the cracks in the floorboards, creating furniture.  
"Whoa!" Icefire exclaimed, staring out of one of the gaps. "This is so cool!" she stood frozen, gazing at the sunset reflecting  
Sotako came up to stand to her, Azalea on her other side.  
"You're lucky you get to live here." the black-haired boy told his sister. "I'm sorry that I left you to die all those years ago. I should have been responsible." He turned away hide his tearing eyes, "I should have been there for you."  
Azalea shifted over to him. "It's okay." She soothed, rubbing his back comfortingly, "You knew I was close to death. Even I didn't think I was going to make it." She turned to look out the gap to where a blonde-haired figure was having a conversation with the red-eyed girl, "When Snowburner found me, I was on the brink. He knew I needed help, so he took me in and nursed me back to health. The Guardians have been good to me, they raised me, though they weren't much older than I was. I understand that you were scared, you were only six by the way."  
He turned back to her. "But I should have stayed with you. Instead, I ran; I ran from you and from my past, from everything." He faced the other way again, "At first, it hurt to think about what happened. Then I found someone who promised me great things, someone who would give me the skills to live with what I did. Soon I decided not to think about it, so that I didn't have to suffer."  
Azalea grabbed his shoulder and spun him around. "Stop feeling sorry for your self!" she scolded, "Don't make me set you straight, boy."  
"Thanks. I'm sorry." Sotako said.  
"That's more like the brother I remember." Azalea smiled, and then danced backwards. "Now come on, dinner will start soon. See, they're already starting the fire."

Icefire looked down into the clearing and, sure enough, a few people were gathered around a big fire. Azalea led them down, jumping to each lower branch. At the bottom, she led them to were many people were sitting around. Icefirenoticed that three new figures had joined them. They looked like humanoid felines. Their skeletons were human, but their features were not. They had cat ears, eyes, fur, tails, and retractable claws. One, female, had thick gray fur that matched her naturally gray hair and big blue cat eyes. The other two, male, had dark brown tabby fur, black hair, and amber eyes.

Snowburner looked up from where he sat next to them by the fire. "Oh, hello." he greeted, oblivious to the fact that he was near wierd creatures. "This is Wolf," he gestured to the gray female, "and these are Tiger and Bramble." he pointed to the males in turn.

"Pleasure to meet you." Icefire said, sitting on the other side of the fire with Sotako and Azalea. After everyone ate their fill of nuts, berries, and freshly fried rabbit meat, they sat around flickering flames and talked. Sotako decided take the time to figure out more about his long lost sister. Icefire just stared quietly into the fire, watching the flames dance around and throw up sparks. Soon though, she drifted off to sleep.


	3. The Betrayal

Chapter 4  
The Betrayal  
Icefire awoke to a scene that confused her. A green meadow flowed before her, along with a pile of charred wood and ashes and many bodies of sleeping people. It was then she remembered where she was: The Guardians' Home. She sat up and looked behind her, seeing HomeOak loom above her head. She noticed that some of the Guardians were already up; Snowburner climbed around in the branches of HomeOak, a young girl with light blue eyes and black hair who was called Pyro crouched on a thick branch of one of the smaller oaks, and Falcon, the red-eyed girl with the cape, meditated on a boulder several yards away. Wolf, Tiger, and Bramble were nowhere to be found and Nebelung, the girl who wore only leaves, stirred and growled in her sleep, waking Silver, who reluctantly got up and disappeared into the branches of HomeOak. Azalea and Sotako woke at the same time, and Echo, a girl with purple eyes and black hair, still slept soundly. Nightsky, fast asleep next to Echo, sweated and shivered at the same time, then woke with a gasp, wide-eyed and panting. Icefire crawled cautiously over to her.

"Are you okay?" she laid a hand on the blonde-haired girl's clammy-skinned arm, dripping with sweat.

Nightsky stared at her- no, stared through her- with cloudy eyes that started to clear as though she were coming out of a dream, or a vision.

Nightsky shook her head viciously and blinked several times before replying, "Yeah…yeah, I'm fine."

Icefire knew otherwise, but respected the boundaries set between her and other people's problems, so she shrugged it off.  
"Okay." She got up and climbed HomeOak to see if Snowburner needed help with whatever he was doing. She saw him standing in front of the large window-like gap, staring out at the field that rolled away from him. He looked thin but strong and majestic, looking as though he were guarding his home from any invaders that might be lurking around the edge of the forest that bordered the meadow.

Icefire thought about leaving him alone when he spoke. "I've lived here all my life, you know," He said quietly. "helping the lost and dying kids I found. We all have one thing in common: we are unwanted." He turned to her as she crept out of the shadows to stand in the light of the morning sun. "Unwanted by kin, orphanages, every civilized people. We decided to come to the forest to seek a home and protection. Then we found this meadow and called it The Guardians Home, because we believed that we could protect the woods. Now I can't believe how right we were." Icefire gave him a questioning look and Snowburner turned back to the gap before answering, "You see, along with our new home, we discovered that we had supernatural abilities. For example, I found out that I could control the elements fire, water, air, and earth. Nightsky could speak and control the minds of animals and had animal-like reflexes, abilities, and instincts. Falcon is a newer member and can fly and use magic to do her bidding. Nebelung was born into a pack of wolves and so has dog-like behavior most of the time, but what is truly extraordinary is the fact that she has a special connection with the forest and the elements but cannot use them as I can. She can, though, turn to mist or fog, disappear into a tree without a trace that she had been there, transform into anything from sand to boulders and sink into solid ground as though it were merely water. She can walk through flames like they aren't there and turn to smoke and vanish into thin air, dissolve into water and breathe underwater. I still can't fathom how this is possible when she can't control any of these things, and she even says she can speak to the forest and that it speaks back. Anyway, Azalea controls water and Pyro has the same mastery over fire. Wolf, Tiger, and Bramble are not even from this planet, and though their kind have a few Clans in this area, each are independent and wouldn't take them in, so they came here and we welcomed them, even if they aren't here all the time. Silver can use magic and spells and stuff like that same as Falcon, only different. And Echo is a blind girl who has extremely high senses and is very good at sneak attacks, war tactics, and is an amazing fighter, which gives her the title: The Warrior. Nightsky is The Tracker. Falcon is The Shadow. Nebelung is The Scout. Azalea is The Defender. Pyro is The Powerhouse. Wolf, Tiger, and Bramble are The Protectors. Silver is The Healer. And I am The Leader." He stopped as though lost in thought, then spoke, "But if you want the in-depth stories on each of them, you'll have to ask them yourself."

"Then tell me your story, Snowburner." Icefire said.

The blonde-haired boy turned to her, eyes wide. "You want to here my story?" he turned back to the field and Icefire almost thought he'd say no, but he told her. "Well….the first thing I remember was taking a hike with my father. He said it would be a bonding trip and I believed him; I was only five then. Anyways, my father took me to these very woods and for a time it was fun. But when I got hungry, he said I couldn't have what we had packed because it was for when we got to our destination. I didn't even know where that was, but I kept my mouth shut and tried to ignore the hunger pains and growling stomach. When we stopped at rivers, he gave me ten seconds to drink as much as I could before he left, whether I was behind him or not. Soon, I was starving and running out of energy. And when my father saw this, he told me to rest while he explored a camping spot. I did as I was told and slept. When I woke up, it was dark, I was hungry, and he was nowhere to be found. That's when I knew something was wrong. For days, I searched for him, but when I couldn't go on, I laid down to rest. That was when I heard a faint crying and the sound of ragged breathing. At first, I thought it was my father, so I ran towards the noise. As it turned out, it was Azalea. She had burns all over her body and her clothes were patchy and singed. She was crying in pain and weakly thrashing about. I gently carried her to this meadow, which I had stumble upon by chance, and stayed with her and healed her wounds. I nursed her back to health and when she found the motivation to talk she told me what had happened; she had been in an explosion and had somehow been dragged to the forest. She said her brother had gone looking for help when I found her. Over time we searched for him, but to no avail, we couldn't find him." He paused for a time.

Icefire used that chance to tell him, "I've known Sotako nearly all my life. Or at least since I started my training." This time he threw her a questioning glance. "When I was no more than two years old, I was apprenticed to The Headmaster. I still don't know much about him though and he says that's okay, that knowledge can be deadly. I never once questioned him after that. He said it was dangerous and, like you, I believed him. He trained me for the last eleven years I think and finally sent me out on a mission with Sotako because he was more experienced. At first, I wasn't thrilled at the thought, but Sotako is a nice kid and I enjoyed working with him, until he got us lost. See, our ship crashed and we had to get away from these weird people who kept pointing guns at us. Anyway, I must confess that I can, somewhat like you, control water and fire at my will, which some students say is made of iron. That is the only way we got away from those people. They're probably searching for us as we speak. I can't imagine what they'll do once they find us." She stared down at her feet.  
Snowburner seemed to get it. "Don't worry, they won't find this place. No one can, unless they live here or are shown The Guardians' Home."

"You think so?"  
"Yeah, I do."  
"Thanks." Icefire told him quietly, walking away.

Icefire sat at the gap in HomeOak, looking out at the sinking sun. It was three days after her talk with Snowburner and now she was watching life in camp settle down for the night. A hand on her shoulder made her nearly jump out of her skin. She turned to see Sotako standing over her. She got up and asked what he needed.  
"I have to talk to you." He said before leading her out of the tree and into the forest, sitting down in a bramble thicket. "Look, it's been almost a two weeks and we still haven't completed our mission. Now I've noticed that you've been getting careless and a little too comfortable here. We can't afford to put this off any longer; we have to strike now. Do you want The Headmaster to think you're a failure? And how do you think I feel? I have a victorious reputation, that can't be spoiled."  
"Not everything is about you, Sotako. What about Azalea? Would you really attack her home, her family? Truthfully, I'm having second thoughts on this whole thing." She replied.  
"I'm going to let her come home with us. The Headmaster won't mind after I talk him into it." Sotako said. "Once she's gone to the ship, we'll take out the rest of them. It'll be easy and Azalea won't even know."  
"You would lie to your sister?"  
"If that's what it takes to keep her out of danger, then yes."  
"Besides that, what do you mean by 'I'm getting too comfortable here'?" she asked.  
"I've seen you with that Snowburner character, you're always near him. When you need something nowadays, you always go to him." Sotako went on, "And another thing, you can't keep hanging out with these people, they're our enemy."  
"But they're nice and caring and….." Icefire's voice trailed off deep in thought, "I don't see why The Headmaster would them destroyed, they only want to protect things, just like him. And I think you're jealous because Snowburner's taking up some of my time. Well let me just tell you something, I like this place, I like the way it makes me feel free, the way Snowburner makes me feel safe. I don't think I could destroy this place." She finished without meeting his gaze.  
"Get real," Sotako rolled his eyes, "We have a job to complete and we're going to complete it, whether you like it or not."  
"You can't make me!" she almost screamed, remembering just in time to keep her voice low.  
"Look Icefire, you either fight with me or you fight with them. Choose one."  
"Then you will fight alone. The Headmaster taught me to befriend the enemy and then turn on them, but these past few days have been amazing. Maybe if you didn't spend so much time brooding over this mission, you might have realized that too." She got up to leave. "I'm sorry, Sotako, but it just doesn't feel right, betraying friends."  
Sotako stood and brushed past her. As he did so, a bush in front of him trembled slightly in the presence of a fleeing person. The black-haired boy took off after it and Icefire followed. She knew that whoever it was would be in big trouble if Sotako caught it. A ferocious hiss from ahead told her that he had captured whoever it was. She pushed harder, making her legs move faster as she neared a clearing. She emerged to see Wolf pinned to the ground with Sotako standing over her.  
"Traitor!" Wolf hissed, defiantly struggling.  
"How much of that conversation did you hear?" Sotako ignored her, leaning close to her face. The gray she-cat snapped at him, but he just moved out of the way.  
Fear for Wolf's life surged through her and Icefire leaped onto her partner's back and flung him off the girl. "Stay away from her!" she yelled at him. He didn't look surprised, which seemed puzzle Wolf.  
"Why do you not fight with him?" she asked cautiously.  
"Because I cannot let him hurt you or anyone else." Icefire answered determinedly.  
"Then I'll fight with you." Wolf declared, coming up to stand next to her, "I heard your talk with him and you said that you wouldn't betray us, even though you've known Sotako your entire life and you've only been here a few days. I believe you will make a good Deputy one day. Snowburner thinks a lot of you, I'm sure he wouldn't hesitate to give you a title."  
"Enough talk," Sotako cut in impatiently.  
"You know you can't beat both of us, Sotako. Like I said before, you fight alone." Icefire told him.  
"So you think, kid." He whispered. "But you don't know the half of it. I'll be back, but you won't like who I'll bring with me." With that, he slunk back into the shadows, leaving no trace.  
"Thanks, Wolf. I owe you one."  
"No, you don't; you saved me and I saved you. We're even." The gray she-cat replied. "Come on, let's head back home."  
"Yeah, home." Icefire liked the way the word tasted on her tongue. I could get used to this, she thought as she followed Wolf back to The Guardians' Home.

That night, she lay awake on her branch-bed in HomeOak. When she and Wolf had come back, Snowburner had invited her to stay forever. She had accepted this clearing as her permanent home. Everyone had been thrilled, but there was still no sign of Sotako. Icefire had admitted that she was sent here to destroy them, but had turned on her own partner. She also revealed Sotako's plan to them, knowing that they had to get ready for an invasion of some sort. Snowburner had told her that everyone had a life-story of some kind, but they were still a family that loved and cared for each other. He had said that when she earned it, Icefire would receive a title like the other members of her new family.  
She was just glad that he had trusted her enough to invite her into the family, even after what she might have done. She felt complete loyalty towards The Guardians now, and for the first time in her life, Icefire had a sense of security and safety, knowing that they would always have her back and in return, she'd have theirs. This was something that she had never felt while she was apprenticed to The Headmaster. Falcon, in order to make her feel better, had told her that she too had run away from a dark master. The red-eyed girl had been apprenticed to a Dark Sorcerer and had escaped from his clutches for he used her only as a target to practice his own spells. They had rubbed off on Falcon before she ran away and she had been here ever since.  
Knowing that she had a story very similar to that of another, Icefire was grateful towards Falcon and was no longer afraid of what the others thought of her, as they had stories of their own that might be worse or more depressing.  
Soon, sleep over came her like a black wave, drowning her in darkness.

Four days after she had been accepted as a Guardian, Icefire woke to the sound of warning howls. She had spent many hours learning the different calls, perfecting the sounds with her own voice, and deciphering which person gave the call. Knowing that Bramble had howled, Icefire crept to the edge of the gap in HomeOak and saw about fifteen dark shapes moving through the grass. That moment, Echo bounded up the branches and motioned for Icefire to follow. It was still hard to believe that girl was completely blind. They both landed on the ground behind Silver, who was crouching behind a large boulder. She turned, recognized them, and peeked back over the top of the rock. Icefire followed her gaze until her eyes found the leader, Sotako. Her eyes widened as she saw her ex-partner lead an attack on The Guardians.  
This is my home now, she thought angrily. She let fury build up inside her as she waited for the signal. She saw Snowburner leap onto a boulder in front of hers and howl the attack order.  
Icefire jumped over the boulder, landing on all fours, and leaped at the nearest kid. She recognized him as Zailon, the student she had defeated almost a week and a half earlier.  
His gray eyes were filled with rage as he shouted, "Traitor!" in her face. He squatted down, leaned back, and swung leg out to trip her. Icefire back-flipped out of the way.  
"I may be a traitor to you, but I still remember my training." She twirled with one leg up and let her heel catch the side of his face, sending him careening backward into a boulder. She took the chance and pinned him down, only to be pushed back as Zailon's feet met her stomach. Before she could recover, the black-haired boy jumped for her, but he never reached her. Azalea caught him in mid-leap, pinning him to the ground.  
Icefire got up, nodded her thanks, and bowled over another student of The Headmaster. This time it was Keeta, a young girl with lots of skill. Icefire allowed water to leak from her hands and when it had covered Keeta's arms and shoulders, she froze it. While that kept the redhead busy, she knocked Sotako off Snowburner, who was struggling for air. She kicked her ex-partner away from her packmate, as her family called each other. She checked the blonde-haired boy's breathing and, after deciding it was returning to normal, leaped onto Sotako's back, squashing him on the ground. As she sat there, on her enemy, she took in the battle; Echo was landing well-aimed attacks on a boy called Kori, Silver was sending white light in every direction, Falcon was fighting her way out of a corner by using her dark magic as a shield and slowly moving forward. Snowburner had rejoined the battle and had driven a girl named Salora into a pool of quicksand that he had created, solidifying it when she was waist-deep in sand. Wolf and Tiger were wresting three kids, while Bramble fought off a couple of younger kids. Nebelung was teasing at least three students by attacking one then disappearing when they turned to look and attacking another and doing the same thing. Azalea was still battling Zailon, who had the upper hand.  
Suddenly, Sotako shifted under her and threw her off. She slammed into a boulder and blacked out.

Icefire awoke in HomeOak. All her packmates were around her, except Snowburner. She sat wearily sat up and looked around. The last thing she remembered was being thrown off Sotako in the battle.  
The battle! She realized that there was no battle. Had it been only a dream? No! She noticed that everyone had injuries and that her back ached and her arm stung. Echo was covered in bandages, some areas stained red; one of Silver's eyes was closed and swollen and her arms were covered in scrapes. Falcon was busy bandaging Nebelung's forehead; Pyro was inspecting a gash on the bottom of her foot. Azalea's left arm was wrapped in cloth and she looked barely conscious; Wolf sat next to her, trying to get her to drink. Tiger was licking a scratch on his shoulder, while Bramble paced back and forth by the gap, ignoring a gash on his arm, and Nightsky had large bruise on her forehead.  
"Where's Snowburner?" Icefire asked, searching for the blonde-haired boy.  
"Sotako took him to some dude called The Headmaster." Bramble answered without stopping his pacing.  
"No…." she breathed, trying to get up. Her knees felt weak and shaky, but she managed. "We have to get him back."  
"Not possible. Sotako has HomeOak under guard. There's like thirty people just around us." Pyro looked up from staring at her foot.  
"Why did Sotako take Snowburner and not me?" she asked.  
"Because we had gotten you safely into HomeOak and Snowburner called a retreat. He was the last one out and when made a break for, they surrounded him." Wolf replied this time. "I guess he seemed like a better target until they can get to you."  
"Then they can have me. How long has it been since they captured him?"  
"The sun was high then….it has gone down a little since then…..maybe two or three hours." Nightsky told her, "You're not going to give yourself up, are you?"  
"Yes. This is my fault in the first place and I'm going to fix it." She declared stubbornly. She was about to climb down when Bramble stepped in front of her, barring her way.  
"You can't do that. I won't let my packmate rush into danger." He said in his feline-like voice.  
"What about Snowburner? The Headmaster will kill him! I can't let my packmate die if there is something I can do about it." She pushed past the brown tabby tom.  
"Fine. Then the least we can do is give you cover. And directions," Bramble led her to the gap and pointed to a spaceship parked in the meadow. "Sotako took him there."  
Icefire instantly recognized a portable holding chamber attached to The Headmaster's pod. Nebelung and Falcon got up, Tiger following quickly.  
"We'll give you the distraction you need to get to the spacepod. It's up to you from there on. Okay?" Bramble said before bounding down the branches with Nebelung, Falcon, and Tiger behind him.  
In spite of the fear that wormed around in her stomach, Icefire nodded to herself and climbed out HomeOak. While the others were causing a commotion, she slunk around boulders under a cloak mist. When she reached the pod, she melted a hole in the steel door with a stream of fire that she shot out of her hand. Before she entered, though, she checked to see what became of her friends. She looked just in time see Bramble and the others successfully reach the safety of HomeOak.  
Icefire turned and slipped through the entrance. A corridor stretched away in front of her, leading to many side halls. She pictured the outside of the pod; the holding cell was on the left side. She traveled up the left side of the corridor, looking for something that resembled a prison. A cry of pain led her to the last hall on the right.  
The Headmaster must already be torturing Snowburner! Icefire thought. A howl that she recognized as her packmate's confirmed her worst fear. She crept silently along the hall and turned herself to fog in order to phase through the door barring her way, a trick Snowburner had taught her only two days earlier. She walked through the door and hid behind a control panel before resuming her solid form. She peeked out from behind her hiding place to see Sotako standing over Snowburner, who was chained to the floor. Sotako held a remote and pressed a button that sent electrical pulses through the chains that bound his prisoner. The Headmaster was there, too, standing beside his student and questioning Snowburner, who didn't answer. Sotako sent shock waves through the chains again, making the blonde-haired boy cry out and drop to his knees as the electricity drained him of his energy. Icefire winced; she was all too familiar with this type of punishment. The Headmaster had used it on all disobedient students and for her one near-death experience was enough for a lifetime.  
She couldn't watch Snowburner suffer any longer. She focused her firepower on the remote and glared at it until the control started melting and burst into flames. Sotako dropped it in surprise and looked around. Icefire ducked back behind the control panel, but it was too late.  
"Icefire, I know your there. Come on out." Sotako's voice sounded, "Or I'll kill your little friend."  
Icefire looked over to see the black-haired boy grab Snowburner's arm and haul him to his feet. He held an ice-knife up to his prisoner's neck. Icefire sighed and got up, coming out into the open. The Headmaster smiled and nodded to Sotako before he left the room.  
"Tell you what, kid." The black-haired boy said, ginning evilly. "I'll save you the agony and kill you first." He flung the ice-knife at Icefire's face, but before it could reach, it stopped in mid-air. It hovered in front of her head before dropping to the ground and melting into a pool of water. She looked up in surprise to see Snowburner with his eyes open and one hand raised; he closed his hand into a fist while reciting something in a foreign language and fell limp, eyes shut.  
"I must admit," Sotako began, dropping Snowburner on the ground, "I never expected him to have that much energy left."  
Icefire rushed to her friend's side and melted the chains from his wrists. All the while being fully aware of Sotako circling her, rambling on and on about wasted efforts and other such things. But all she could do was concentrate on Snowburner; she had to get him out fast. She dragged him to a corner of the room to keep him safe while she faced off against Sotako. He moaned slightly, but did not wake.  
Icefire then turned her attention to her black-haired opponent, who stood calmly in front of her. Amusement glittered in his eyes as she lunged at him but missed. She landed gracefully in a crouching position. Before she could turn for other attack, though, Sotako leaped onto her back, squishing her flat on her stomach. She pushed up with her arms and rolled over. She felt the breath be driven from Sotako's body and she jumped up to attempt to escape. She melted a hole in the door and ran over to Snowburner, who was still unconscious in the corner. She grabbed his shirt and dragged him to the door. As she adjusted her grip on his black T-shirt, Sotako bowled her over, holding an ice-spear above her face. She grabbed his wrist and twisted it between two hands. He cried out and fell back, clutching his wrist.  
Icefire leaped for Snowburner and pulled him towards the exit.  
This would be so much easier if he wasn't deadweight, she thought irritably. As if on cue, the blonde-haired boy's eyes fluttered open and he looked around himself. Icefire dropped him and sighed with relief. Snowburner got up and brushed his pants off.  
"Come on, we have to get out of here." Icefire told her, pulling him towards the destroyed door. He followed quickly enough that she didn't have to drag him. However, before they could get to the door, Sotako jumped in front of them, barring their way.  
"Sorry, kids, but neither of you are getting out of here alive." He said, leaping for Icefire. Snowburner pushed her out of the way just in time, and got hit instead. He fell to the floor, grasping his arm, an expression of pain on his face. A smile crossed Sotako's face as he stared down at the blonde-haired boy.  
With Snowburner injured and Sotako still a potential threat, Icefire found it hard to see how they could escape alive.


	4. The Victory

Chapter 5  
The Victory  
Icefire watched in horror as Snowburner writhed on the floor. She let rage consume her and she slammed into Sotako's side, causing him to fall. As he regained his footing, her foot connected with his stomach and he flew back, hitting the wall. Icefire helped Snowburner to his feet, keeping his uninjured arm over her neck and walking quickly to the exit. She shoved him through the hole in the door and turned to see if Sotako was up. She saw the black-haired boy stand dizzily and stumble around a bit before seeing her and giving chase. Icefire turned and fled, pushing a slow Snowburner forward and guiding him to the exit. She didn't dare glance back in fear of what she might see. She ran faster, keeping Snowburner in the right direction. She pulled him outside, slipping through the melted door, and made a break for HomeOak. Icefire could see he wouldn't make it there; he was just too weak, the skin around his wound gave off a greenish glow. She tried to pull him along, but he kept falling back. She let out a howl for help and almost immediately, Wolf, Tiger, and Nightsky dropped out of HomeOak and raced toward them. Icefire hurried Snowburner along while Nightsky and Tiger fought off oncoming attackers and Wolf kept Sotako at bay. Snowburner began to unsteadily climb the low branches of HomeOak. Wolf jumped up to help him while Icefire bounded wearily ahead of them. She reached the top as Falcon rushed over to pull Snowburner up the last few steps. As soon as he got to the top, he collapsed on the wooden floor, panting in exhaustion.  
"Thanks." He gasped gratefully, rolling onto his back and clutching his now green arm. Silver noticed his arm and rushed to tend to his wound. She focused on his arm and muttered something under her breath. Diamond-white light flared out of the palm of her hand, enveloping Snowburner in a shining iridescent cocoon. The pain in the boy's face softened to an expression of peace as the magic wove around his wound. As the wound healed, the white light faded and was replaced by a sickly gray-green color. Silver's hand quivered with strain as she sucked the poison from Snowburner's arm. The blue-eyed girl's entire body trembled at the amount of power that was being used. The gray-green light dimmed and went out. Silver finally sat back, her face ghostly pale.  
She gathered herself as best she could and spoke in a wavering voice. "He only needs to rest now." She tried to stand but fell back, only to be caught by Falcon.  
"Easy. Don't strain yourself." The black-haired girl told her, setting her down gently beside Azalea.  
Icefire noticed that Sotako's sister looked much better and that most of the other Guardians' wounds were healed completely. Silver must have used her magic on them.  
No wonder she is called The Healer, she thought, noticing that Silver's eye was no longer swollen.  
Azalea was sitting upright and bright-eyed, braiding her snow-colored hair. Icefire sat down behind her and gently took the messy strands from her hands, starting over.  
"You like your hair braided?" she asked Azalea, twining the locks of hair.  
"It is a war braid, from the Tribes of the Oceans. My people were at war with those who controlled the flames-"  
"There is a proper name for my people, you know." Pyro interrupted Azalea from where she sat in a corner of HomeOak's main room. "They are the Fire Clans."  
The white-haired girl continued. "Sorry. My people were at war with the Fire Clans. All the female warriors wore their hair in a braid. Our hair is thicker when braided and protected the backs of our necks from the sword."  
"I see…. How is it that you come to know of these things?" Icefire asked, still braiding. "I thought you were found here when you were young."  
"I can tap into the memories of my people. I can see their past. The Fire Clans, the Sky Kingdoms, and the Earthen Cities can do it as well."  
"And last time I checked, the Fire Clans won that war, against all odds." Pyro told her.  
Azalea rolled her eyes. "That's Pyro for you; just as proud as her ancestors, maybe even more so."  
"If I didn't know you well enough to know that you're just kidding, I'd have gotten you so bad, you'd have taken that back."  
"Dream on, Sparky." As soon as Icefire had finished braiding her hair, Azalea leaped playfully onto Pyro, bowling her over. The raven-haired girl pushed her off, enjoying the game, and squished her flat against the wall. The two tussled around the wooden floor for a while before tiring and sitting side-by-side, panting and laughing.  
Icefire leaned against the wall and stared out of the gap in the wall, her eyes widening at what she saw. She crawled closer and looked out again, confirming her suspicion. Many members of the enemy stood outside, holding flaming torches.  
Fear tightened her stomach as she shouted, "They're going to smoke us out! They're going to set fire to HomeOak!"  
Her friends gathered around her, following her gaze.  
"You're right!" Echo exclaimed.  
"Any ideas?" Falcon asked.  
Icefire glanced at her friends; she stared at the fear in each ones eyes. Even Echo's blind gaze revealed fright.  
Realization hit her like a lightning bolt. "Pyro!" she called to the black-haired girl, "You control fire. Can you use that ability to keep the flames away?"  
Pyro nodded and Azalea volunteered to help extinguish the fire. The two set to work turning the blazing sticks away from the branches of HomeOak and putting out the flames completely.  
Icefire's gaze fell on Echo. "Protect Snowburner at all costs." She told the blind girl. The purple-eyed kid nodded and crouched in front of their leader's resting form.  
She turned to Silver and Nebelung, "I need you two to guard the entrance. Once they realize that their fire attacks aren't working, they'll swarm up HomeOak like locusts." The two girls agreed and firmly placed their feet by the branches leading to the main room of the giant tree that they called home.  
"Icefire," she turned to see who had whispered, but no one was paying any attention. Nightsky was talking to Wolf while Tiger and Bramble devised a plan.  
"Icefire…." It seemed that the very air was speaking to her, but no matter how hard she concentrated, Icefire couldn't see anyone. "Icefire…" There it was again! The voice tickled her brain, breathing inside her head. "Come to me, Icefire… fall into the trap of The Headmaster." The sound hissed.  
"No." she whispered, closing her eyes and trying to block out the voice. "I won't."  
"Come to me…" the voice breathed softly, intoxicating her mind.  
"No, go away!" she gasped as the sound shrieked at her.  
"You will come!" it screamed shrilly.  
Icefire dropped to her knees, clutching her head in pain as the voice pierced her thoughts. Her head became fuzzy, as though she were fighting through a thick fog. "Leave me alone!"  
The voice grew louder and shriller, until it threatened to engulf her in high-pitched sounds. Icefire struggled to stay alert and focused. Suddenly, there was a loud blast of energy and the voice was torn from her head. She shakily opened her eyes and came face-to-face with Falcon. The raven-haired girl was struggling with a dark shadowy figure. It slashed at her face, but she shielded herself with dark energy. The creature had a pointed head, four sharp spider-like legs, clawed hands, and no face. It was completely black and hissed like an enraged snake. Falcon, arms outstretched, shrieked something in an unearthly language and the dark creature dissolved, flowing into the girl.  
"I eternally bind you to my service, Night-mare!" She breathed, her eyes closed. She opened them and lurched forward, her cape swirling as she fell to her knees. Silver rushed to her side, inspecting the trembling girl. The others stood back and gave them room, Nightsky taking Silver's place at the entrance to HomeOak.  
Icefire was too weak to move; she stayed where she was, hugging her sides. Falcon regained her footing and, though still gasping, managed to stand straight. Silver checked Icefire, studying her with concerned azure eyes.  
"Are you okay?" the silvery-blonde-haired girl asked.  
Icefire gathered herself up as much she could. "Yeah…. What was that thing?"  
"A Night-mare, and a fully grown one too." Falcon spoke first, straightening up. "They are very dangerous creatures, at that."  
"You need to rest," Silver ordered firmly, but gently. She turned to Icefire, "both of you. Handling a Night-mare takes a lot of energy."  
Icefire had to know. "Why was it inside my head to begin with?"  
Silver paused, as though choosing her words. "I don't know." She began, "Night-mares are usually nocturnal creatures, unless given the chance to be let into a mind."  
Icefire flashed back to a time when she was left in a dark room for six days with a shadow creature. At the time, the thing appeared to be a giant, blunt-headed salamander with glowing pink eyes and two rows of serrated triangular teeth. "How long can a Night-mare remain inside a mind?"  
"For as long as needed." Silver told her gravely. "Why?"  
"Many years ago, when I was about six, I was locked in a cold, lightless room. There was a dark creature in the room with me. It looked like a big salamander with sharp teeth and glowing pink eyes. Just before they released me, the creature disappeared." She explained.  
"I see," Silver said thoughtfully. "That was a premature Night-mare you saw. It had somehow found a way into your mind and had stayed there until the present moment."  
Icefire shuddered at the thought of a creature living inside her head for almost seven years. "So, why did it wait until now to come out?" she asked.  
"Who knows. It could be a number of reasons." Silver responded. "Night-mares are drawn to power, serving only the strongest and their army, if one had such a thing. Perhaps The Headmaster purposely placed the premature Night-mare in the room with you, in hopes of it reaching your mind. Maybe that was what he had intended to happen."  
Icefire thought back, and considering what happened in the last few days, she could almost be sure it was true.  
Suddenly, a group of enemy soldiers swarmed up the branches of HomeOak. Tiger and his twin leaped onto the leading kid, an older student called Lonek. Nightsky was wrestling with a young girl with a scar on her arm, and Nebelung barreled into a boy called Zapher. Echo scratched at a boy well older than she was, and heavier to add another fact. He knocked her over in an attempt to get to Snowburner, who stirred at the sound of Echo's scream. She lay pinned to the floor by the larger kid's foot, which lay heavily on her thin stomach.  
"Get off her!" Snowburner screeched, pouncing on the boy. He stumbled backward and while he and blonde-haired boy wrestled, Icefire rushed to Echo's side. The blind girl was on her back, motionless, her sightless eyes shut tightly. Her breath came out in ragged gasps.  
Relief escaped Icefire in immeasurable amounts as the black-haired coughed, opening her purple eyes, and struggled to sit before leaping back into battle, bowling over a girl who was sneaking up on Snowburner, who was still occupied with the brown-haired kid.  
Icefire crouched and swung her extended leg around to trip a redheaded boy. Two other kids, one with blonde hair and the other a brunette, instantly crushed her. The weight of the two was too much for her to handle. She thought about giving up, but quickly pushed it away. She gathered as much strength as she possibly could, and rolled, flattening her attackers as best she could. Their grip loosened enough for her get up, only to be tackled by the redhead who she had tripped moments earlier. He pinned her to the ground, but she pushed him off.  
Icefire leaped onto a stumbling girl, knocking her over before racing toward Silver, who was fending off four kids at once. She high-kicked a surprised girl, catching her on the side of the head with the top of her foot. The brown-haired girl fell hard, and Icefire moved to a boy whose full attention she had. She faked a left and lashed out with her right foot, slamming into the tendon in the back of his knee, causing him to fall. Silver allowed to keep still until the last two attackers leaped for her. She then lunged forward, her opponents slamming onto the ground in a pile. As they struggled to untangle themselves, Silver and Icefire moved on to another set of kids, pushing through the throng. When Icefire reached Falcon, wrestling with a boy much older than her, Silver had been sidetracked with a couple of dark-haired girls. The boy who was fighting Falcon grabbed her raven-colored hair and pulled her down. Falcon screeched in pain, in an attempt to throw the boy off her back, sent waves of uncontrolled black magic flying in all directions.  
To protect her friends, Icefire created a shield of ice over Falcon to keep her magic contained. "Falcon! Calm down!" she shouted, trying hold together the faltering ice-bubble.  
The red-eyed girl heard her friend, slammed the boy into the wall of the circular shield, and fell to her knees, exhausted.  
Icefire let the ice melt and hurried to inspect Falcon for any wounds she might have caused herself. She noticed the same greenish glow that had emitted from Snowburner's wound color the skin on black-haired girl's neck. Falcon gasped for air, her breathing failing quickly. Icefire had to do something fast.  
Without thinking, a tumble of words spilled out of her mouth in a rhyme she had never heard before,

"Spirit's breath,  
of noble death,  
give me the burden to bear,  
my friend's life, please spare.  
I free you, Falcon, from the  
poison that steals your life.  
No longer with you feel the pain."  
Falcon's body quivered with unconscious relief as the poison left her. Icefire trembled as she felt her friend's pain enter her body. From her head to her toes, the hurt flowed through her, making cry out. She felt Falcon instinctively shut her out, leaving her pain behind. Icefire fell back and lay on the floor, shivering as the poison ran through her body in an uncontrolled river. She tried to hold it in one place, tried to keep it contained.  
Through blurred vision, Icefire saw Snowburner race to her side, shaking her shoulders with fear in his eyes. She tried to respond, but if she did, the poison would slip from her grasp.  
Hold on, she told herself. Hold on.  
Then she heard Snowburner. "Hold on!" he shouted frantically. "Hold on!"  
Icefire's sight failed more and everything lost shape. She saw many colors shift by in rapid motions, flying by almost so fast she thought they mixed into new colors. She had a firm grip over the poison that leaked only slightly through her tight hold on life. She clenched it so tightly she thought it would burst under the pressure. The colors swirled faster and faster, until she felt dizzy and started to lose her grasp. To prevent that, she closed her eyes and concentrated on one thing: containing the threat.  
Just as she was about to give up, Icefire felt the presence of a new force: one of good. She let it flow through her, dissolving the poison, making it smaller. Her vision started to slow and clear, she saw shapes and began to distinguish the faces of each person. She tasted something in her mouth and instinctively started to chew it. The object felt fuzzy and tasted of plants and the forest floor. She felt its strong juice trickle down her throat and strengthen her. She fought against the poison and allowed the leaf in her mouth to fall into her stomach. Her sight came back fully and she saw Nebelung leaning over her, green eyes sparkling with relief.  
"She's going to be fine." The blue-gray-haired girl said, sitting back. "I'm still surprised that she made it this far."  
Icefire looked around her, watching the faces around her stare back with relieved expressions. Snowburner leaned forward, gazing into her face. She struggled to sit upright and her friend helped her.  
Icefire glanced around. This wasn't where she had been a few minutes ago! She thought as she recognized the second story of HomeOak, used as an infirmary. "How'd I get here? I was just on the first floor, defending HomeOak. What happened to the battle? I was only down for a couple of minutes!" the questions tumbled out of her mouth so fast she was surprised that her friends even registered any of it.  
"You were out for over five days." Silver told her worriedly. "Everyone thought you were dead. It was Nebelung who had noticed that you were still breathing."  
Icefire glanced gratefully at the blue-gray-haired girl, but she still had one unanswered question, "But I was conscious for the entire time and I was only down for a few minutes. How can that be?"  
"It's the effect on Dragon's Poison. It makes time speed up for the one who is infected with it." Snowburner explained. "When I it ran through my veins, it felt like only seconds when in reality, it had been almost ten minutes."  
"And for you it must have only felt like minutes when it was actually days." Silver continued.  
"Then what did you cure me with?" Icefire asked.  
"Yarrow mixed a little Lamb's Ear." The silver-haired girl replied.  
Icefire didn't understand, but she thanked The Healer anyway.  
"What I don't get is how you held on for so long. How did the poison get in you?"  
"It was originally in my blood stream." Falcon spoke up when Icefire faltered. "She saved me somehow and when I came to, she was glowing green with Dragon's Poison."  
Silver inspected Icefire closely. "How interesting…. Do you remember what you did to receive the poison from Falcon?"  
Icefire thought hard, then answered. "I think I said, 'Spirit's breath, of noble death, give me to burden to bear…..my friend's life, please spare. I free you, Falcon, from the poison that steals your life. No longer will you feel the pain.' And then the poison flowed into me and….." her voice faltered.  
"I see." Silver said thoughtfully, "I don't know what you did, but it sounds like a spell of some sort."  
"That's because it is a spell." Everyone turned to Pyro. "It is an ancient spell from the depths of the Fire Clans history." The black-haired leaned closer, "What you did was a Fire Clan healing spell."  
"But I don't know any spells, especially not ones from a place I've never been or even heard of until these past few days." Icefire said incredulously, eyes widening.  
"Maybe there's more to it." Azalea whispered. Pyro nodded her agreement.  
Icefire didn't know where this was going, but if it were about her past, especially part that she didn't remember, she was ready for anything.


	5. The Discovery

Chapter 6  
The Discovery  
Icefire sat with Snowburner, Falcon, and Echo, discussing a plan to defend The Guardians' Home and run the enemy out forever.  
"…..and Azalea, Silver, and Pyro will make sure they're all boarded so that Falcon can get it into orbit." Echo was explaining, unleashing her master plan to them.  
Azalea and Pyro had been deep in conversation for most of the morning, secluded in another room of HomeOak.  
"I'll need a little help on the getting into space part." Falcon told her.  
"Of course…. Maybe Silver can help you with that, and Wolf can go with Azalea and Pyro. Does that sound good?" Echo asked, adjusting her plan to fit the raven-haired girl's need.  
"That'll be just fine. With our combined strength and skill in magic, Silver and I could easily get that thing in the air."  
"So…. Where do I come in?" Icefire asked.  
"What about bait?" Snowburner suggested. When the others looked at him incredulously, he explained, "We need to draw them to their ship somehow. What better way than to have the one they are most interested in over there, getting their attention?"  
"Well…. I don't know…." Echo's voice trailed off.  
"It's simply brilliant!" everyone stared at Icefire in astonishment as she spoke.  
"Are you sure?" Falcon asked.  
"Completely." She confirmed, fear and excitement worming around in her stomach for a second. It was replaced by determination. "Look, this is my home now and I'm going to do everything I can to protect it."  
Snowburner nodded in satisfaction. "Excellent. We'll fill in the others and get started right away. I'm tired of hiding in a tree like a frightened cat. It's time to make a stand." He and Falcon broke off in different directions, while Echo told her what to do.

Later that day, Icefire crouched behind a cluster of deep green leaves, hiding in the shade. She stared down at her enemy, busily working up another attack; but The Guardians would attack first.  
Icefire gazed around, looking her friends, who were also in hiding. Echo was in the thick cover of the pine tree on the right of HomeOak, and in the pine on the left, crouched Tiger and Bramble. Snowburner shifted around in his place in the branches that made up the entrance to HomeOak, while Wolf, Pyro, and Azalea waited for the command on the lowest bough. Falcon stirred slightly from where she readied herself in the middle of the gap, Silver motionless beside her. Nightsky paced quietly on the branch above Icefire, surprisingly without shaky the leaves. Nebelung shifted in and out of the trees at the edge of the clearing, walking right through the thick brown trunks with stopping.  
Icefire surveyed her surroundings, waiting for Echo's signal. When it was given, she would blast off the branch, using her fire power as rockets to jump her across the clearing to the enemies' spaceship.  
Icefire looked back over at Echo just in time to see the blind girl slash the air. She leaped out of HomeOak and shot high-pressured fire from her feet, flying over the clearing with the help off Snowburner's air ability. Satisfaction welled up inside her as her enemy looked up in surprise.  
Icefire landed on the hard silver pod, the metal hot under her bare feet. She turned and spat insults at her enemy, who angrily swarmed toward her. She raised her arms and waved them, signaling for Pyro, Azalea, and Wolf start rounding them up and into their spacecraft.  
The three girls dropped out of HomeOak and ran toward the enemy. Azalea sent a giant wave of water, which was generated from thin air, crashing toward the group of kids, while Pyro unleashed a ring of fire to back it up. The small army pushed into their pod, squishing each other in their haste.  
As the wave neared the fleeing enemy, Icefire created an ice knife and tossed it up, kicking it into the oncoming wave. The knife pierced the center of the water, freezing it and spreading ice through the entire structure until every inch was completely ice. The fire ring that Pyro had sent behind it slid up the ice ramp and flew over the screaming army. They dashed inside without a back ward glance, shutting the door behind them.  
Icefire dispersed the fire and jumped off onto the frozen ramp-like wave, sliding down the back. Wolf yowled to Falcon and Silver, who shot tendrils of white, silver, and black magic across the field. The shimmering light encased the entire pod and, with an enormous amount of energy, lifted it into air. Snowburner sent a powerful blast of air and fire to jumpstart it. The pod shot forward at amazing speed, soon vanishing out of sight.  
Icefire watched it until she couldn't see it anymore before jumping over to her friends, now all gathered in the center of the meadow. Everyone buzzed with excitement, happy to have their home back when, unexpectedly, a group of strangers marched into the clearing, each carrying a basket full of fruit. They stopped dead in their tracks, staring in horror of what lay ahead of them.  
"Some of them didn't get on board!" Falcon announced.  
"And look who's in the lead." Icefire said, recognizing Sotako.  
"That's not good." Nightsky stated flatly. The others nodded in agreement as the black-haired boy approached with almost fifteen other kids at his side.  
Icefire, along with her friends, braced herself as Sotako calmly walked up to her and spoke, "What happened here?" he asked, raising one eyebrow.  
"A battle." Icefire replied tensely.  
"Oh, come now. Don't be like that. I was only asking a question."  
"You may have forgotten we're enemies." She retorted. He seemed so calm; it was starting to creep her out.  
"I haven't forgotten." Sotako told her. "But you have failed to remember whose side you're on."  
"I no longer fight with you." Icefire growled. "My allegiance lies with my friends. I thought you knew that by now."  
"The Headmaster was quite upset when he found out you betrayed him and failed to destroy these half-hearted mice." The black-haired said coolly. His brightened, "Didn't your 'friends' know of your original purpose?"  
"I know you're trying to turn them against me by using my past." Icefire told him. "They already know what I was sent here to do."  
"And they still let you stay?" Sotako's eyes widened as he realized his plan wasn't working.  
"Yes, we did." Snowburner replied, smiling at Icefire. "And I'm glad we did."  
"You're all fools!" a kid in the back shouted angrily. "You'll pay for what you did to The Headmaster!"

Sotako glared back at the boy. "Quiet, Zailon."  
Icefire raised one eyebrow. "Zailon is here? Well I guess one defeat doesn't settle well." She raised her voice and addressed the boy, "Apparently you can't admit that I beat you."  
The black-haired boy pushed his way the front of the group, glaring at her with ice blue eyes. "You got lucky." He growled, defending his title.  
"I think you're still mad because I wiped the floor with you, and I must say 'you're heavy'." She taunted.  
Suddenly, Zailon leaped forward, but Silver stepped in the way. The black-haired boy slammed into the silvery-blond-haired girl, pinning her to the ground. Icefire stared in shock as her friend protected her. Falcon leaped onto Zailon, getting tangled in her cape as she wrestled the black-haired boy away from Silver. Soon, Zailon had wrapped Falcon's cape around her neck and was now pulling it hard.  
Falcon gasped for air, but Icefire couldn't move. She stared frozen as Snowburner ripped the end of the black cape out of Zailon's hands, uncoiling it from Falcon's neck while Silver jumped on the black-haired boy.  
Icefire didn't know what to think; no one had ever stood up for her like that. She was used to being on her own in these situations.  
Keeta, the redheaded girl, joined in the skirmish, helping Zailon fight Snowburner and Silver. Kori jumped in, too, followed quickly by Echo. Soon, everyone was in the battle except Sotako and Icefire, both watching.  
Icefire couldn't take it anymore; Echo was pinned down by Zailon, Keeta bowled over Silver, and Snowburner and the others weren't fairing much better.  
"Stop it!" Icefire screamed, squeezing her eyes shut. The commotion stopped and she opened her eyes to find everyone up to their waists in ice. She gaped at what she had done. Both groups flew apart and lay limp in the grass. She knelt down in front of the closest person, Snowburner. He was conscious and his eyes were bright, but he couldn't move.  
"Icefire!" Azalea called. "Come here."  
Icefire went over to the white-haired girl. "Yeah?"  
"You did another spell. You can undo it."  
"How?"  
"Just believe in yourself."  
Icefire got up and let her instincts guide her. She closed her eyes and spread her arms. She reached to the far corners of her mind and grasped the power inside her. Three words came to her and she spoke them, feeling the strength power her. "Break the spell!"  
The limp bodies trembled and she felt their muscles start moving properly again. The enemies scrambled apart, facing each other and glaring. Snowburner was panting and Tiger braced Wolf, who leaned gratefully against him.  
"This isn't over." Icefire growled.  
"No, it isn't." Sotako agreed. "I'll destroy The Guardians yet."  
"Then you'll have the fight of your life." Snowburner stated determinedly.  
Sotako snorted and walked away, his team following him into the forest.  
Icefire walked back to HomeOak with Snowburner and the rest of her friends. She leaped up the branches and leaned against the wall of the main room. She felt drained; that spell stuff was hard work! She slid to the floor, resting her aching limbs.  
Pyro and Azalea came up to her.  
"I know," Icefire sighed. "I did some sort of spell. I'm sorry."  
"Don't be." Pyro said.  
"What you did was very hard. Only powerful sorcerers can use spells." Azalea put in.  
"I need some time to think about this." Icefire told them, getting up and climbing to the third and highest floor of HomeOak, which was divided into small rooms for each of the kids who lived there. She entered her room and lay down on her bed, a pile of moss and leaves.  
Icefire closed her eyes and soaked up the afternoon sun that shone through her window gap. She slowly drifted off to sleep.

Icefire walked through the forest, sunlight dappling the ground in dreamy shades of browns and greens. She looked around in confusion.  
This is not the woods where The Guardians' Home is! She thought, glancing around at the trees. It was then she realized she was dreaming. She looked down and found herself in a red and orange shirt and orange tights with a long red skirt, split down both sides.  
What in the world? These aren't my clothes, she thought. Oh well, it is dream.  
She wandered around for a while before coming to a clearing. There were houses carved into a hillside! And more buildings in the surrounding trees! She jumped when she heard someone shout. Three men ran toward Icefire.  
"Hey!" one called. "It's a Fire Clan spy!"  
"What?" Icefire blinked. "I'm no spy." Wait! She realized, Fire Clans! That's where Pyro's from!  
The men were coming closer and they did not look friendly. She turned around and ran back through the woods. Leaped over a fallen tree and hit the ground hard, slipping on wet leaves. It must have rained yesterday.  
She shook her head. This was a dream and nothing more. Nothing and no one could hurt her here. A large rock flew over her head and hit the tree in front of her. She ducked down and covered her head with her hands. She scrambled to her feet and ran on, dodging low limbs and jumping over logs.  
The men chasing her suddenly stopped and laughed. "The Tribes of the Ocean will deal you now!" one shouted. The other two laughed with him.  
Icefire turned in surprise and as a rustle sounded behind her. This is only a dream, she told herself, fighting against the fear. This is only a dream!  
Suddenly, four people burst out of the tree line, two men and two young girls, and ran toward her. She braced herself to fight, but the group split up and stopped behind her. She spun around and saw them square up against the three men who had chased her.  
"What are you doing here?" one of the girls growled at the men, completely ignoring Icefire.  
"Chasing that Fire Clan spy out of our territory!" one of the men shouted at Icefire.  
One of the men looked back and turned around again, saying, "That's no spy! She's not even from the Fire Clans! Can't you tell fire controllers from someone from the Tribes of the Ocean?"  
Icefire looked down at her clothes as the men that had chased her stared at her curiously. She now found herself in a white sleeveless shirt with wavy blue stripes running down it at a slanting angle, baggy blue pants with a thick, long strip of white cloth hanging down the front of her pants with a wavy blue stripe in the middle, vertically.  
This is too weird, she thought, looking up.  
"Now leave." The first girl ordered.  
The intruding men backed away, grumbling.  
Icefire's rescuers turned to her, but before she could speak, one of the men said, "Ice Heart, when will you learn that you have to respect the Earthen Cities borders."  
She opened her mouth, stunned. Ice Heart? Why'd he call her that?  
The second girl spoke, grabbing her hand, "It's okay. Those Earthen scum had no right to scare you like that."  
Icefire nodded absentmindedly. "Who are you?"  
"It's me, Pond Skater. Your best friend." The girl said, as though trying to jog her memory. "Man, they must've gotten you good. You really don't remember us, do you?"  
Icefire shook her head, "I don't even know where I am."  
"Your in the Tribes of the Ocean territory." One of the men told her. "You know, home."  
Icefire instantly recognized the name. Azalea was from the Tribes of the Ocean! "Do you know someone named Azalea?" she asked them.  
"No, why?" Pond Skater answered.  
"Well, she used to live here with her brother, Sotako."  
The group thought for a moment before the oldest man replied, "There's no one by the name of Azalea or Sotako here. I've never even heard of those names before."  
"What! That's not possible!"  
"Look, Ice Heart," Pond Skater began.  
But Icefire cut her off, "Why are you calling me Ice Heart? My name's Icefire."  
The girl's eyes widened. "It's you. Water Song told us to expect someone called Icefire. She must speak with you immediately." Pond Skater grabbed her hand and led her through the trees on the other side of the clearing.  
This is great, Icefire thought as she followed the group through the trees. I'm stuck in a dream and being led to some unknown person.


	6. The Finding

_Chapter 7_  
_The Finding_  
_Icefire followed Pond Skater and the rest of the group to the edge of an ocean. The vast expanse of water stretched out before her like a giant blue tarp, rippling and moving with the wind._  
_Pond Skater motioned for Icefire to follow before plunging into the aquamarine abyss with her friends. Icefire took a deep breath of air and jumped in after her. She swam through the surprisingly clear water, struggling to stay down instead of floating to the surface._  
_How Pond Skater stay down here? She thought. Icefire kept swimming downward; she felt her lungs being compressed by the seawater. She thought they would bust and started for the surface; too late! She let the air out of her lungs and accidently inhaled a mouthful of salty water. She felt her lungs fill with water, burning her throat and nose, drowning her. The feeling soon passed and Icefire, still conscious, found herself floating in the water._  
_Freaked out, Icefire swam forward, toward Pond Skater and the group, who were waiting with amused expressions on their faces._  
_"Not used to it, are you?" Pond Skater asked, right there in the water! No air bubbles came out of her mouth when she spoke._  
_Icefire shook her head and followed the group into an underwater cave, deep at the bottom of the lake. Pond Skater broke off the rest and beckoned her to an air pocket just on the other side of a rocky dip. They maneuvered under the dip and surfaced, taking a second to get used to the sudden air._  
_Icefire took in the room: a few tables sat in random places, frozen fish and fried octopus tentacles were laid on them. One particular table had an assortment of colorful powders and liquids. An elderly woman with white hair and ocean-blue eyes sat behind that table, crushing some little red berries._  
_"Water Song," Pond Skater started, bowing in respect, "Icefire is here to see you."_  
_"Ah…" the woman sighed peacefully, her voice watery and smooth, "I knew she would come soon. She looks so much like Ice Heart."_  
_Icefire stepped forward and bowed to the woman as Pond Skater did, asking, "Why am I here? You must have something to tell me or I would not be here."_  
_"Yes, please get something to eat, both of you, and come sit down."_  
_Icefire took some fried tentacles and let herself down onto a cushion on the other side of the table, Pond Skater joining her._  
_"Now, let me see," Water Song began, "I called you here so you can learn a little bit about your past. Forgive me for not telling you earlier, but I could not reach you until now."_  
_Icefire nodded as she continued, "I have called you into a deep sleep so I may speak to you. I don't know much about your past, but I can at least tell you about your parents." Icefire's eyes grew wide, "Let me start from the beginning: you are related to the great sorceress, Snow Flame. She is from the Tribes of the Ocean, but she fell in love with a powerful man from the Fire Clans. His name is Sun Fire; he is a very kind man, but he should have known better. These two are your great-grandparents._  
_"Snow Flame gave birth to three girls, Stream Speaker, Ice Heart, and Blazing River. Ice Heart is your grandmother." Water Song stopped and let her take in the story so far._  
_"So, I'm in my grandma's body?"_  
_"Correct." She replied, nodding._  
_"Go on." Icefire urged her to continue telling about her history._  
_"Very well. Ice Heart was determined to prove to everyone that she would not make the same mistake that her mother did, so she married a nice boy named, Frozen Lake. They had two sons: River Runner and Lake Storm. Unfortunately, River Runner, like his grandmother, fell in love with a Fire Clan girl. Her is name is Flicker. They had one daughter: you." Water Song stopped again._  
_Icefire couldn't believe it, after all those years, she had finally learned about her parents! "So, how did River Runner and Flicker meet?"_

_"Your father and his friend, Aqua, were sent to spy on a group of kids traveling to find a Roc. They discovered him and Aqua and they accompanied the group, crossing into Fire Clan territory. Along the way, they met Flicker and Spark Fire, another friend. River Runner fell in love with Flicker after awhile and they had a child, but you were not safe there, so they sent you to another dimension of Earth. Eventually, you ended up escaping a Dark Master and found a new home with the Guardians."_  
_"Oh, so I'm really from a different dimension?" Icefire asked, "This is hurting my brain, I need to think."_

_As she got up to leave, Water Song said, "Yes, you do. Think hard. I will send you back now."_  
_"Thank you for the information on my past, Water Song." She bowed again and said good-bye to Pond Skater as her vision blurred. Everything went black._

Icefire awoke from her dream with a jolt, feeling her spirit flow back into her body. She leaped to her feet, wobbling, and ran down to the first level of HomeOak, the familiar rough bark under her feet. She breathed in the fresh air that blew through the gap in the window and searched for her friends.  
Icefire found Snowburner lying on a shady branch near the entrance, breathing deeply with sleep. Echo sat on a boulder farther out, chatting with Falcon while keeping watch. Nebelung phased in and out of the trees, patrolling the forest for the evil that lurked. Pyro and Azalea were the first to spot Icefire, running happily toward her and waking up Snowburner in the process. He sat up and smiled when he saw her.  
"How'd your nap go?" he asked.  
"You would not believe me if I told you." Icefire replied.  
"Oh, come on now." Azalea pestered, "Tell us."  
"Fine, I'm not from this dimension." She stated.  
Snowburner stared at her in disbelief, but Pyro and Azalea just nodded thoughtfully.  
Icefire told them about going to the Elemental Nations in her grandmother's body and everything from being chased by men from the Earthen Cities to talking to Water Song.  
Finally, Pyro spoke, "Yeah, that would make sense."  
"Snow Flame was very famous." Azalea agreed, nodding. "You're lucky to have her as your great-grandma."  
"Thanks, any sign of Sotako?" Icefire asked.  
Snowburner shook his head. "Fortunately not."  
"Good. I don't think I'm ready to face him yet."  
He looked over his shoulder as Nebelung appeared out of thin air. "All clear, maybe Sotako got scared and ran away."  
At that moment, Echo let out a warning howl, which was added on by Falcon's yowl. Wolf, Tiger, Bramble burst out of the tree line, followed by Sotako and all the rest. The three cat-people streamed across the clearing, reaching safety as Falcon unleashed whips of dark magic and Echo expertly slammed into Sotako's chest, knocking him back.

Icefire followed Snowburner into battle, shooting ice shards at Keeta. The redhead dodged out of the way, blasts of white light streaming from her hands. The impact sent Icefire sliding back, but she kept her feet on the ground. Blocking the energy had drained her, and Icefire fell to her knees, trying to regain her strength.  
A hand grabbed her shoulder and yanked upward, flipping her onto her back. She stared into the dark eyes of Sotako. He held an ice-knife in one hand and pinned her down with the other. She struggled, but her energy wasn't fully charged yet and she regretfully went limp. Sotako raised the knife above her chest.  
"I'm going to enjoy this, kid." He hissed and the knife plunged. Icefire squeezed her eyes shut as tight as possible and braced for the impact. However, she felt no pain, just darkness. She felt as though she was falling into a never-ending pit of blackness.  
Icefire unconsciously opened her eyes. An orb of blue light surrounded her and the shattered remains of the ice-knife lay on the ground. She didn't feel right, as though she was a different person. Involuntarily, she stood up and, inside, she realized that she was not in control of her body! She was trapped in her head and, suddenly, she couldn't see, as if she had been shut out.  
Then it struck her, she was in self-defense, or lockdown, mode! Sometimes, when she was in peril, her spirit would shut down and her body would go into lockdown, unconsciously attacking anything that moves.  
Icefire fumbled around in the darkness, trapped in an all too familiar cage as her body attacked every living thing. She needed to get out soon and that would be hard since her powers won't down here. Then she remembered the only way to snap her out of the trance. Ice! She had to be exposed to ice! Sotako, Snowburner, and Azalea were all water-users; they had to use ice eventually.  
If I don't kill them first, Icefire thought miserably. I'll run out energy anyway, that's the only other way to get back in control.

However, she wasn't sure she wanted to know what happened while she was shut out. A cold sensation ran up her spine and spread throughout her body, but it wasn't fear. It was ice!  
The air left her lungs as she was flung upward, out of the trance. Her energy drained as she flew toward a bright dot above her. The dot grew larger with every passing second. Air rushed back into her lungs as she surfaced, as if being pulled from water.  
As she gained control of her body once again, she looked down and saw that she was up to her shoulders in ice. Glancing up, she looked into Snowburner's startled blue eyes. Her spirit fell.  
"What happened?" Icefire asked hoarsely, terrified of the answer.  
"You completely went haywire on us." The blonde-haired replied, gesturing to Sotako, who was surrounded by his allies.  
"I killed him?" she stared in disbelief at what she had done.  
However, Snowburner shook his head, releasing her from the icy prison. "No, but you slammed into that tree other there. If I hadn't contained you, you probably would have." He stared intently at her, concern glinting in his eyes. "What happened to you?"  
Icefire lowered her head, "I went into lockdown mode. It's a condition that shuts me out of my body. It then attacks everything that moves. I can't control it and it's only activated sometimes when my life is in complete and unstoppable danger."  
"I knew something was wrong when your eyes started to glow ice-blue." He told her.  
"I'm sorry; I didn't know what I was doing."  
"I know." Snowburner lifted her chin and hugged her. "It's okay."  
Icefire closed her eyes and hugged him back. When she turned around, her enemies had vanished. And so had Echo! The blind girl was nowhere to be found.

"Where's Echo?" Icefire alerted, looking around.  
"Echo!" Falcon called out, listening for an answer. But none came. "Echo!" she cried again.  
In the distance, a small, choked howl rose and was quickly cut off.  
"Sotako has her!" Icefire realized.  
Snowburner turned to his team. "Falcon, Nebelung, Tiger, and Nightsky. You come with me and Icefire. The rest of you, stay here. Let's go!"  
Icefire followed the blonde-haired boy out into the forest. Nebelung disappeared to scout, while Nightsky tracked Echo's scent, and the rest traveled with their guard up.  
Hang on Echo, Icefire thought, her gaze shifting through the trees. We're coming.


	7. The Rescue

**Hey readers! Sorry this chapter is short, but I think you'll find it enjoyable. R&R!**

Chapter 8

The Rescue

Icefire followed Snowburner through the forest, stepping quietly over a patch of brambles. They had been trekking through the woods for a very long time.

"Sotako can't be too far away, now." Nightsky reported, coming on Snowburner's left, passing Icefire. "Falcon said she sensed Echo's presence close by."

"Then we must hurry." Icefire cut in.

"I agree." Snowburner nodded, signaling to Tiger. The tabby tom leaped away to tell Nebelung and Falcon to rejoin the group.  
Icefire picked up the pace, swiftly following the two blond-haired kids in front of her. The other three regrouped and Falcon raced along side her, Tiger on the other side.  
The path twisted and turned, but Snowburner lead them into a clearing and suddenly skidded to a halt, causing Icefire to bump into him. She peered over his shoulder and saw a campsite. Sotako and a few others were staring at them in slight surprise.  
Falcon leaped to the front of the group. "Where is Echo?" she snarled.  
The black-haired boy shrugged. "How should I know?"  
Snowburner stepped forward. "You kidnapped her, remember?"

"Yes, I remember perfectly." He stated calmly, "But we lost her on the way here."  
"You did what?" Falcon hissed in outrage, teeth clenched.  
"A mysterious figure it was," Sotako recalled. "I couldn't its face, if it had one."  
"What are talking about?" Icefire shook her head, confused.  
"The shadow creature." Keeta stated calmly, brushing her short red hair.  
"Huh?"  
Sotako cut in with a glare toward the redhead. "Something attacked us on the way to camp and kidnapped the little blind girl from us."  
"Where did it go?" Snowburner and Falcon demanded at the same time.  
Sotako shrugged again. "Don't know. None of us do."  
Snowburner turned back. "We must find this 'shadow creature' and rescue Echo."  
"Right." Icefire and the rest of the group nodded sharply.  
"You do know you aren't escaping this time, right Icefire?"  
She spun around and came face-to-face with her former partner. "I don't think you want to relive what happened earlier. You remember lockdown mode, right?"  
At that, the raven-haired boy stepped back.  
"I thought so." Icefire turned to leave.  
Suddenly, she heard a surprised yowl. Whirling around, she saw Zailon and Kori holding Tiger away from the rest of his friends. The black-haired cat-person hissed and spat, extending his claws, but he could not break free.  
Sotako, standing in front of him, smiled. "Looks like I have the upper hand this time."  
"Let him go!" Nightsky screeched.  
"Sure- no."  
Out of nowhere, Nebelung appeared, tripping Zailon. Tiger scratched Kori with his now free hand, making the brown-haired boy yelp and jump back. Nebelung still grappled with her black-haired opponent, who had her pinned down. She suddenly melted into billions of sand particles, which blew away and reformed into a silvery-blue-haired girl, now standing next to Tiger.  
Snowburner motioned the group to back away and they escaped the clearing. Their blond-haired leader melted in the undergrowth after them.

After a ton of searching, Icefire started to get tired. Everyone else seemed to share her feelings, except Falcon, who now lead the way, tracking Echo's aura.  
Tiger suddenly pricked his ears, staring into the thick undergrowth. "Something's there." He hissed, alerting the others.  
Icefire followed the tom's gaze, but she couldn't see anything. "Where?"

"Over there." He nodded toward the left.  
This time, she noticed something bushes rustling near her.

Snowburner moved in front of her, watching intently. The bush shook again and he stepped back, but couldn't react fast enough when something jumped out at him. The blond-haired boy wrestled with the shadowy figure, throwing it into the undergrowth. It jumped out again, but was intercepted by a new figure.

It was Echo! The blind girl expertly battled the shady character until she pinned it down, revealing the figure to be a girl of around fourteen. Echo whispered in the girl's ear and leaped away, allowing her to get up.

Snowburner prepared himself for another attack, but the girl didn't move. She wore a winter camouflage (white, silver, and gray) beanie over braided light blond, red, black, and orange streaked hair and lime green eyes. She wore a red, black, and silver camouflage tank top, black cargo shorts, and sported bare feet. Across her back, were four quivers, full of arrows, and a steel bow with ivory vine design on it. Strapped upside down on her upper left arm was a blue dagger, a dragon's head and wings made up the handle, and a curved sword with a jagged blade rested at her left hip. Another quiver was strapped to her right leg, but fewer arrows were in it.  
The stranger tried to smile, but she wasn't able to.  
"Hi guy-!" Echo didn't get to finish her sentence, for Falcon had swept her up in a tight hug.  
"Are you okay?" the raven-haired girl asked worriedly, letting go of her blind best friend.  
"Yes, mother." Echo rolled her sightless purple eyes happily. The two black-haired girls were almost sisters, except for the fact that they weren't related.

"Anyway," she continued, "This is Zanna." She gestured to the rainbow-haired girl, who waved.  
"You can call me Radar, if you want."  
"Okay." Snowburner still eyed Zanna suspiciously, "Got a home?"  
The girl hesitated, sadness filling her green eyes.  
"Zanna doesn't like to talk about that." Echo explained.  
Snowburner shrugged. "No matter, you can stay with us, if it pleases you." He offered.  
"Thank you." Zanna nodded. "I'd like that very much."

Icefire watched Echo and Falcon lead Zanna up HomeOak, showing her around the Guardians' Home.  
"I wonder who she really is." Snowburner came up to her, staring Zanna through the branches of HomeOak.  
"Me, too." She agreed, nodding.  
"Something happened to her home, I think. Something terrible."  
"She does seem evasive." Icefire agreed again. "You know, sometime we'll have to confront her about it."

He sighed. "I know."  
Icefire followed Snowburner into HomeOak, third level, and lay down in her bed. Zanna slept in the bed next to her.  
She closed her eyes and quickly fell asleep.


	8. The Truth

**Here's the 9th chapter! Finally, right. Anyway, enjoy and review! :)**

**Chapter 9**

The Truth  
Icefire awoke to the sound of strangers talking to her friends. She quickly slid down a branch to the second floor of HomeOak, peeking out of the gap in the wall. A group of about five or six adults were standing in the clearing below, confronted by Snowburner, Echo, Azalea, and Nightsky. Two of the adults wore long white coats (one was young and had dark brown hair and the other was older with graying hair), while the rest were dressed in black and carried guns. The men in white coats were speaking to Snowburner, who had apparently established his authority to the strangers.  
As Icefire climbed down HomeOak's entrance, she noticed Zanna hiding in the leaves of the lowest branch, watching the scene with fear-filled eyes.  
Icefire knew something was up, but decided to wait for an explanation. She leaped onto the grass below, startling everyone and causing the black-armored men to align their guns. Her friends were not at all surprised though, they must have heard or sensed her presence.  
"Sheath your weapons!" Nightsky hissed.  
She joined the group, standing curiously next to Nightsky, wondering who the strange people were.  
"So, who are you, again?" Azalea asked.  
"We are from a secret federation that you, as children, are not allowed to know about." The older man in the white coat replied. "My friend and I are scientists and we have been sent to track down an escapee."  
The younger man stepped forward. "We believe you are sheltering a fugitive without knowledge of it." He explained.  
"An escapee…" Echo breathed, her blind eyes staring at the ground.  
Snowburner, who had glanced down at the rather short, thin girl, looked up, almost tall enough to stare the scientists in the eyes.  
The blond-haired boy held his head high as he answered the men. "I think you are mistaken, sir. We are hiding no one. And I'll prove it to you." At that, he signaled to Nightsky, who let out a howl.  
Instantly answering the blond-haired girl's call, Falcon and Silver leaped out of HomeOak, followed by Pyro, Wolf, Bramble, and Tiger. Icefire noticed Nebelung quietly converse with Zanna, obviously telling her to stay put, before jumping onto the grass and joining her friends. Allowing their half cat friends to join them proved to be a fatal mistake.  
The scientists could contain their excitement at the sight of the cat-people. "What a marvelous discovery!" the younger one almost squealed.  
"Yes! We must take them back with us!" the other agreed. They signaled to the men with guns, who advanced on Wolf, Tiger, and Bramble.  
Icefire, Snowburner, Echo, and Falcon stepped in the way. Icefire stood nearest to the cat-people, ready to defend them with her life.  
"Don't make me hurt you." Snowburner warned, closest to the gun-armed men.  
The black-suited men just laughed and came closer.  
Snowburner slid one of his hands behind his back, setting it aflame.  
Azalea noticed this and placed her hand on his shoulder. "Snowburner, don't. It will only cause more trouble than we need."  
"If I don't, they'll destroy us." The blond-haired boy growled, hand still on fire.  
The elderly scientist chuckled. "Don't worry, children. We won't harm you. The guns are filled with tranquilizer darts and only that." He explained.  
Despite his words, Icefire felt fear clutch her stomach as she prepared for battle.  
One of the black-clothed men raised his gun in alignment with the side of Snowburner's neck. The blond-haired boy had no time to react as a brightly colored dart dug into his neck, making him clench his teeth. He fell to one knee, clutching his neck. Icefire darted toward him, plucking the dart out of his skin.  
"Why'd you do that?" Echo hissed in outrage.  
"Don't worry, kid, he'll only be out for a little while." The old scientist recalled. "Now if the rest of you will be so kind as to move out of the way, we won't have to do that again."  
"Don't count on it." Azalea growled.  
Icefire turned her attention back to Snowburner, who was losing strength quickly.  
"Protect Tiger and the other two." He ordered her before turning to Azalea. "You're in charge."  
The white-haired girl nodded sharply as her blond-haired leader fell on his back, unconscious. Azalea turned her flashing green eyes toward the man who shot Snowburner, letting out a warning growl.  
Nebelung slipped behind Falcon, changed into swirling air, and blew toward the men, transforming in the middle of the group.  
"Nebelung, no!" Azalea screeched as the silvery-blue-gray-haired girl sank into the ground and popped up by the awestruck scientists. She changed into fog and covered the entire meadow in a blanket of thick gray mist. Guns fired at random, there were a few pained snarls, and silence. Nebelung transformed into her normal self and Icefire stared in horror at the terrible mistake her friend had made.  
Azalea was still standing, but Wolf, Nightsky, Pyro, Bramble, and Falcon had fallen. Tiger, Echo, Silver, Nebelung, and Icefire were the only ones left, along with Azalea. One of the gun-armed men lay on the ground as well, accidently tranquilized by his one of his own. The rest stood stock-still, watching Nebelung with disbelieving eyes.  
"Impossible." The young scientist scoffed. "The transforming and changing of molecules has never been done before! Not even by scientists as advanced as us, even less by a mere child as young as you are. It's highly impossible!"  
"You still doubt it, even though you have seen it with your own eyes?" Nebelung snorted, but her attitude quickly changed when her eyes met the sight of her unconscious friends. "What have I done?" she breathed.  
"Exactly what we wanted you to do." The younger scientist replied, satisfyingly rubbing his hands together. The gun-armed men, who had apparently slipped away unnoticed, returned carrying a large silver cage.  
Icefire stood as Azalea and Silver stepped in front of their fallen friends.  
"Stay away from them!" Icefire recognized Zanna's voice commanding snarl. She turned to see the rainbow-headed girl leaped out of HomeOak and race toward the group. "I'm the one you came for, not them."  
"Ah," the older scientist sighed happily. "Zanna, darling. Come here child. You know, it's kind of lonely back at HQ without your fiery spirit there to liven things up."  
"Yes." The younger man agreed lightly, almost drooling. "Quite lonely."

"I'm not going back." Zanna growled.  
"We didn't expect you to come without a fight, kid." The elderly man signaled to one of the gun-armed men. "Take her out."  
The man raised his gun, but before he could shoot, Zanna sent an arrow flying in his direction. It exploded in a flash a blue light, freezing the man to one spot. In a split second, every armed adult aligned his gun and shot, sending a rainbow of colorful darts her way. The girl could dodge all but one, which hit her on the shoulder. She fell with a thud, instantly out cold.  
Icefire gasped and rushed to her side, pulling the blue dart out and dragging her away from the threat.  
The old man sighed again, but this time it was a glad sigh. "Pack them up and let's go home."  
Icefire tensed as one of the men grabbed her and dragged her into the steel cage. She struggled to get out, but to no avail. With a last resort, she shot streams fire from her palms and whipped it around the prison, but nothing happened. The scientists' excitement only grew as they caught sight of it.  
Azalea and Silver were thrown in after her, soon followed by Tiger and Nebelung. The rest of their knocked out friends came next. They were careful to make sure no one was overlapping.

The men lifted the cage and followed the scientists through the forest, dragging their unconscious co-worker behind them. Icefire sat in despair, watching the woods go by, eventually being left behind. A large truck sat parked right at the tree line, the driver impatiently waiting for the return of the scientists.

The men in black loaded the cage into the back of the truck and got in the front of the vehicle, leaving Icefire and her friends in the dark. The truck roared to life and jerked forward, soon traveling bumpily across uneven ground.  
Snowburner finally roused, sitting up groggily and holding his head. "Wha-what happened? Where are we?" he asked as Icefire turned to him.  
"We were overtaken, put in this cage and then in this truck, but I don't where we're going." Azalea replied sadly. "I'm sorry, I have failed."  
"No, it's fine." The blond-haired boy told her firmly. "We'll find a way out of this, somehow."  
Snowburner turned to Tiger, who had busied himself to the point of trying to rip the cage bars out of place. Wolf, at his side, woke up, rubbing her arm. Tiger whipped his head around, protectively crouching over her as the truck screeched to a stop.  
The back of the truck slid open, and many men unloaded the silver cage, carrying it into a large gray building. Zanna sat up with a moan, eyes widening in fear as she saw the inside of the building. "Oh no!" she breathed. "This is not good."  
The men set the cage down inside a large room filled with mechanical devices of all shapes and sizes, beeping sounds rattled through the air and tons of men and women in white coats either hurried around the room with papers and files or sat quietly at a desk, typing.

Icefire glanced around the room in a mixture of wonder and fear, her eyes widening toward every piece machinery. "What is this place?"

Zanna hung her head. "Unfortunately, my home, if you can call it that."

Icefire turned to her. "You live _here!"_ she exclaimed.

"Actually, I am what fuels this entire facility. I am their power source; that is why they were looking for me." The green-eyed girl replied. "And now they have you guys as well."

"Like Snowburner said, we'll find a way out of this." She reassured her newest friend.

"That won't be possible." A new voice spoke. Icefire turned and saw the younger scientist that abducted her and her friends. She growled at him as Snowburner and Azalea scrambled back.

"Oh come now, you don't actually think you can escape, do you?" he asked.

"We _will_ find a way out of here." Snowburner replied determinedly, leaning forward, but staying well away from the bars. Behind him, Tiger hissed as a scientist got too close, Wolf snapping at the man's hand when he tried to touch her tail.

Icefire rested next to Nebelung, who sat quietly against the bars with silent tears rolling down her cheeks, taking no notice of her surroundings. Azalea had told her that the green-eyed girl shut down after traumatic or devastating events occurred.

Icefire silently comforted Nebelung by wrapping her arm around the girl's shoulders. She returned her attention to Snowburner, who was still arguing with the brown-haired scientist, who looked as though he were about to explode under the blond-haired boy's quick wits and sharp retorts. Then it happened, Snowburner had too far- the scientist plunged his hands through the bars, grabbing at the blond boy's neck, which he succeeded in grasping.

Icefire leaped forward, but Snowburner twisted around like an alligator going into a death-roll. The scientist yelped, released his victim, and jumped back, wringing his wrists.

"As I said before." Snowburner hissed, rubbing his neck. "We _will_ find a way out of here."


	9. The Breakout

Chapter 10

The Breakout

Icefire crouched on the floor of a large, glass, circular holding chamber; her friends were in identical cylinder-shaped chambers that were lined up next to her. Snowburner was on her right and Echo on her left. Currently, the young scientist that helped capture them was standing in front of Echo's chamber, apparently taking notes.

Icefire could hear him mumbling. "Height: about four feet, seven inches. Age: around eight-"

"I'm twelve." Echo snarled.

The scientist erased a spot on his paper and rewrote something, still mumbling, "Hair: black. Eyes: …dark purple…blind…"

Icefire didn't know what to think… or do, for that matter. She just sat there, quietly staring at the floor.

On her right, Snowburner busied himself by taking his anger and frustration out on the chamber holding him in. Currently, he was punching at the glass with ice-covered fists; he must have taken water out of the air. He suddenly spun and side-kicked the wall, but he was only thrown back to the other side. He did not give up, though, for he sprang at the wall and pounded away at it like a hammer.

On Icefire's left, Echo had settled down a bit since the scientist had moved on to Icefire's chamber. She suddenly noticed this and stared warily into the man's gray eyes.

"Height: around five feet, five inches. Age: thirteen, right?"

Icefire nodded slowly, standing.

"Good. Hair: golden blonde. Eyes: … one dark blue/left and one light blue/right…"

Icefire stopped listening to his annoying muttering and leaned against the back wall, creating space between her and the scientist. She didn't watch Snowburner failed attempts to break free either; instead, she looked around the room: a strange piece of machinery sat at the back wall, so strange it was hard to describe. It was like an eight-foot tall ring standing on its side, inside the ring was a platform, and coming out of the sides were two (one on each side) cuffs connected to a series of tubes.

_I wonder what that's for?_ She thought curiously, narrowing her eyes.

The scientist must have noticed, for he turned and followed her gaze. "Wondering what our machine's for, are we?" he asked, smiling at her intense curiousity.

Icefire said nothing.

"Don't worry, you'll find out soon."

Still, she said nothing. She just stared at the object until she spaced out, without a thought in her mind. She ignored the fact that the scientist had moved to Snowburner, who spat insults at him. She vaguely noticed the strangers that hurried about the room. All she could do was stare at the weird machine. Anything she sensed came slowly… something wasn't right…there was an air of foreboding around the object… something cold, evil…

Icefire jolted back to the present when there was a large crash. She turned toward the sound; Snowburner had covered his foot in ice and kicked the wall with such force, it shattered. The blond-haired boy now lay face down on the floor in front of the young scientist, slowly picking himself up. His lip was bleeding and there were many cuts on his face and arms, but he glared determinedly at the scientist, satisfaction and cold hatred both burning in his blue eyes.

Feeling encouraged, Icefire realized that if Snowburner could do it, she could too. She took water out of the air around her and froze it onto her foot. She kicked the wall repeatedly as strangers rushed to try to stop her. Snowburner was being held down by others as Icefire resorted to shooting streams of fire out of her palms. The glass melted and, with a small smile, she leaped out of the hole, tripping the nearest stranger.

Pyro and Azalea busted out as well, and Falcon and Silver were blasting black and silvery-white magic at the glass. Tiger, Wolf, and Bramble were aggressively scratching at their glass chambers, suddenly kicking the damaged glass and crashing through.

New strangers poured into the room with electrically powered poles. One swung at Silver who barely dodged, jumping back but touching another pole with her back. Falcon was jabbed in the stomach before she could free Echo, and Snowburner, who was still being held down, was quickly electrified as well. Icefire saw Tiger fall before a swinging pole slammed into her side and she knew no more.

When Icefire awoke again, she was in a steel cage covered in electric wire and some sort of power deflector (she knew because she tried to use her powers on it). Snowburner and the others were contained in identical cages next to her. The blond-haired boy punched the bars, only to be shocked until his knuckles were charred. Afterwards, he just sat quietly clutching his hand with a pained expression.

Icefire groggily stood up, but her legs felt like noodles and her knees buckled. Sitting on her knees, she watched her surroundings with a dazed, somewhat spacey stare. The young scientist was talking to an older man and Icefire could just make out parts of their conversation.

"These kids are more powerful than we had originally expected." The younger man was saying. "With all due respect, Mr. Payne, we must perform the experiment now!"

The man called Mr. Payne grunted. "Very well, Zeus. But don't override the system or you'll never hear the end of it."

Zeus nodded and pulled a key out of his pocket. He stuck the key into Echo's cage's lock and turned it. The electric wire turned off and the cage door swung open. Zeus grabbed the blind girl easily (she's only 87 pounds) and hauled her to the strange machine that resembled a ring.

As he attached the cuffs to Echo's wrists, Snowburner snarled, "Don't harm her!"

Zeus ignored him and set the now imprisoned Echo on the platform in the giant ring. The blind girl was feeling the cuffs and the ring to get a picture of where she was when Zeus pressed a button at a control desk. The machine whirred and buzzed to life, Echo let out a hiss and panicked, wildly jerking and leaping around.

"Stop!" Icefire heard herself screech. "She'll hurt herself!"

Echo was now writhing on her back, the tubes and cords that were attached to the cuffs and the ring were tangled around her legs, waist, and neck. The black-haired girl flailed, becoming more entangled in the tubes. In one tense moment, when everyone thought she would strangle herself, the blind girl's eyes lit up, literally. Her once dark purple eyes now glowed white and her writhing stopped.

"What have you done to her?" Falcon snarled.

"Nothing. This isn't supposed to happen." Zeus was looking panicked. "We were only supposed to tap into her powers so we could study them."

"Echo doesn't have any powers, you idiot!" Falcon hissed.

Suddenly, a wave of electric purple light exploded from Echo and rippled through the room. Icefire's cage reacted to the energy, sparking and fizzing. Suddenly, the latch started smoking and exploded, allowing the door to swing open. Icefire leaped out, noticing that the others' cages had the same reaction, springing open and letting them out.

Icefire turned back to Echo, who was suddenly free. The blind girl's hands were alive with white electricity and her eyes were still aglow with white light. She stepped off the platform and raised her fists, snapping them open. Every piece of machinery in the room sparked with white electricity and the room went black.

Icefire lit her hand on fire and held it up, panting and glancing around. Snowburner and Pyro followed her lead and Silver created a glowing silver orb. Icefire waved her hand around until she came across Echo, who stared back with blind dark purple eyes.

"Echo! Are you okay?" Falcon asked, leaping toward the girl and hugging her.

"I'm fine." Echo replied, sightless eyes moving over the room. "But I feel different."

"When I find that idiot who did this to you, I'm gonna-!"

"No, it's a good different. It's a powerful feeling." She grinned. "I like it."

Falcon held the black-haired girl at arms length before embracing her again. "I was so afraid you were going to die." She whispered, a single tear falling down her cheek.

Echo's eyes spilled over with silent tears as well.

Icefire had never seen any one of her friends cry before. She was happy that everone was okay, but they still had to escape from the building.

"Come on, we have to go." Snowburner's flaming hand moved around the room.

Suddenly, the lights came on again and the machines whirred and buzzed to life once more.

Zeus stood by a switch. "You aren't getting away that easily." He said.

A troop of about twenty armed men surrounded Icefire and her friends.

Snowburner and Azalea, who were standing next to each other, backed away. Icefire whirled around to face more strangers with guns, eyeing them warily.

"Everyone, on my count." Snowburner commanded. "Three…"

"You don't expect to fight your way through, do you?" Zeus mocked.

"Two."

"Just give up, boy."

"ONE!"

Icefire leaped forward, kicking the nearest enemy in the face before turning and tripping another one. She dodged a swing at her head and connected her foot to his stomach. Something struck her in the back, knocking her down. She hugged her side as she rolled onto her back, shooting fire into the barrel of the gun that was pointed at her face.

Icefire scrambled up and was grabbed from behind, her feet churning the air. Echo was tackled and Falcon wrestled with two armed men. Snowburner fought back-to-back with Pyro, while Azalea dodged a swipe to the head, but got held down from behind. Nightsky leaped away from some advancing men and dove under a table, but was pulled out again. They were losing.

More of Icefire's friends were captured until only Tiger, Wolf, and Bramble were left. Wolf was grabbed from behind. Tiger let out a snarl and lunged forward, trying to pry open the arms of Wolf's captor. Bramble was captured from behind and pulled away.

Suddenly, the shoulder blades of all three exploded with white light. The men that held them captive released them in surprise and stepped back.

Icefire was stunned at what happened next: the white light extended into the air and took the form of a triangle, details became defined and sleek, looking rather like-

The light died away, leaving the three with, well- wings!

Wolf shook large, gray, feathered wings and Tiger flexed black, leathery bat-like wings. Bramble's were like Tiger's, except they were an extremely dark shade of brown.

"Are we sixteen already?" Bramble asked, though he was more or less talking to himself.

Wolf was watching her new wings stretch. "Now this is more like it!" she stated excitedly.

"Let's do this!" Tiger leaped forward and twisted, catching a guard's head with his wing. He landed neatly, "Much better."

Icefire ducked as best she could as Bramble flew up and dove into her captor, taking him by surprise. He released her and she freed Snowburner by pelting the guard holding him with shards of ice. Wolf glided over the head of a guard and knocked him over with her foot. Tiger pounced on another guard to free Silver, who shot silver magic out of her hands, hitting a couple adversaries in the stomach. Snowburner rescued Echo, Nightsky, and Pyro with the same blast of air.

Suddenly, Zanna sailed through the air, shooting flaming arrows at the guards.

"You dare use my own weapons against me!" Zeus roared at her.

"Yes, I do dare." At that, Zanna loaded her bow and shot an arrow at him, blasting him into the wall with a powerful gust of air. Turning to her freed friends, she called, "This way!" and broke down the heavy metal door with an arrow that exploded with large boulders.

Icefire raced out of the room, Wolf and Snowburner next to her and her other friends following quickly. She ran down the hall after Zanna, skidding around the corner that led to the entrance. As she and the others neared the front door, she heard footsteps behind her; not the nearly silent barefooted sounds of her friends, but loud, clunky noise of the enemy.

Not daring to look back, Icefire ran on, following Zanna and Snowburner out the door. The fresh air that hit her face was relieving and she kept going- until she saw were she was at.

She skidded to a halt behind Snowburner, the others stopping too. They all stared up at the huge, tall buildings that towered above them. There were hard black paths running inn every imaginable direction and there were very few trees.

Icefire spun around when she heard the clunky footsteps again, seeing the guards, and ran after Zanna, who hadn't stopped, her friends following just as quickly. She raced down the black pathway, letting Zanna lead her through alleys and backstreets, eventually shaking off their pursuers. Unfortunately, by that time they were completely lost.

"What now?" Echo asked.

"I don't know, but I'm hungry." Pyro said, holding her stomach.

"At least we're safe." Snowburner stated.

Azalea nodded.

"We need to find some food before we all starve, but first we have to find Wolf, Tiger, and Bramble something to wear so that we don't alarm the people here." Zanna announced. "No offense, but how often do these guys see winged cat-people walking down the street?"


End file.
